October 1, 2021

Lonnie S. Smith Jr.

We held our 7th Annual Sporting Clay Tournament yesterday at the beautiful Shenecoy Sportsmen! It was a wonderful event and we're thankful for everyone who stuck with us through two date changes due to the rain this year! We appreciate you coming out to have some fun on a Wednesday afternoon! Our Top Gun Team this year is Riverview Bank and our Top Gun is Tony Payne. Congratulations! Cassville Country Store did an amazing job (as always) catering this event. We had Hot and Sweet Italian Sausages, Fried Chicken, Baked Mac & Cheese, Cowboy Beans, Coleslaw, Rolls & Butter, Oreo and Apple Desserts! We couldn't hold this event without the support of our sponsors! We appreciate your support! They are: Presenting Sponsor - Riverview Bank Prize Sponsor - Stern Insurance Agency Beverage Sponsor - Keller Engineers, Inc.

The new Community Profile & Membership Directories have arrived! The main contact for each member should have received a special spiral-bound copy in the mail. The regular version will be available at the Chamber office soon. Please email [email protected] if you would like additional copies. Click the graphic to view the online version. A special thanks to the advertisers! This publication would not be possible without them.

Reminder: Overtime Eligibility Not Expanding Next Week Employers planning for a long-anticipated expansion to overtime eligibility next week are being reminded that the proposal was in fact rescinded this past June. The regulation was first proposed by the Wolf Administration in June 2018 several years after the courts struck down a similar proposal from the Obama Administration.   Read More

Interested in advertising in our enews? Contact Yvonne at [email protected]. The cost is $25.00; $10.00 for 501(3) organizations.

Pa. lawmakers keep COVID-19 regulatory waivers for 6 more months Marc Levy, The Associated Press  Wednesday, September 29, 2021 Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled Legislature voted Wednesday to again extend hundreds of regulatory waivers that Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration had approved under its pandemic-related disaster emergency authority. The House and Senate voted unanimously to add another six months to a prior extension they granted, as the delta variant of the coronavirus is causing a statewide surge in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Wolf will sign it, his office said. Lawmakers agreed with most of the Wolf administration’s recommendations on extending the pandemic-related waivers that are still in use, Wolf’s office said. The bulk of the waivers being extended to March 31, 2022, are designed to help hospitals, clinics and others respond to the pandemic, including making it easier to hire staff, deliver vaccines or convert space to see patients. Some waivers have been ended, and some are being allowed to lapse, Wolf’s office said. However, neither Wolf’s office nor lawmakers could provide comprehensive lists. Lawmakers in June voted to end Wolf’s pandemic-related disaster emergency declaration, under new authority handed to them by voters in May’s referendum to change the constitution. At the same time, they voted to extend hundreds of regulatory waivers. That prior extension ends Thursday, the end of September.  Read More

Hold the Dates! Annual Awards Gala - October 7 Altoona/Blair County Airport Business After Hours - October 28 Additional events and event details can be found later in this e-news.

Partners In Excellence   Platinum Fulton County Medical Center Shafer Equipment Co. Gold Stern Insurance Agency   Silver Mutual Benefit Group   Bronze Bumgardner & Flasher Oil, Inc. Orbisonia Hardware, Inc.    Royal Bange's Masonary MiCamp Solutions LLC Culbertson Commercial Cleaning Service FirstEnergy Corporation Juniata College Keller Engineers Lincoln Caverns, Inc. and Whisper Rocks McDonald's Stiffler, McGraw and Associates, Inc.  NEW: Dirtbusters Cleaning Services Interested in learning about becoming a Partner in Excellence? Contact Yvonne at  [email protected]  or 814.643.1110 Packages range from $125 to $1,000.

If you are hiring, please send position information to [email protected] or login to the member section of our website to post your jobs. We've begun promoting this on Facebook.

Chamber Events

Altoona/Blair County Airport Business After Hours October 28, 2021 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Burkes Outlet Ribbon Cutting November 4, 2021 8:00 a.m. Chamber Member Preview 8:30 a.m. Ribbon Cutting Annual Awards Gala Huntingdon Country Club October 7, 2021 5:30 p.m. Reception 6:00 p.m. Dinner Hold the Dates: Spring Jam April 3, 2022  2022 Administrative Professionals Wednesday, April 27, 2022 "Highway to Rock" Concert featuring Live Wire May 21, 2022 8th Annual Sporting Clay Tournament September 14, 2022 September 21, 2022 (storm date)

In Case You Missed It

COVID-19 Vaccines at Penn Highlands Healthcare Vaccine sign up now available. Per the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Penn Highlands Healthcare is vaccinating any Pennsylvanian ages 12 and above. Please call the PHH Vaccine Information Line at 814-503-4735 to sign-up or by visiting www.phhealthcare.org/vaccine to schedule a vaccine. If have questions, please call the PHH Vaccine Information Line at 814-503-4735 Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Did you know........ Small businesses represent the largest segment by number of most local chamber membership rolls. Results in the research study by The Shapiro Group, Inc. and Market Street indicate the impact of local chamber membership on small businesses is very powerful. If a consumer knows a small business is a member of its local chamber, the business enjoys a 44 percent increase in its consumer favorability rating, a 51 percent increase in consumer awareness, a 57 percent increase in its local reputation and a 63 percent increase in the likelihood that consumers will patronize the business in the future. Research indicates that chamber membership stimulates business-to-business commerce in the local community. Other businesses in town are more likely to do business with you and your company if you are a member of the local chamber. Because a major part of a small business typically comes from business-to-business services, it is essential to maintain a positive standing within the local business community. Show your membership pride and that you are a repitable business. Download the Chamber logo to use on your website. Click the logo for more information.

Paid Leave Tax Credit Resources and Guidance Click here to view the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Fact Sheet to learn more about the Paid Leave Tax Credit, how it works, and who is qualified to received it. Click here to view the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)’s Fact Sheet to learn more about how to claim the tax credit during quarterly filings and additional resources for employers about the program.

Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC): Step by Step instructions with a CPA Click here for the On-Demand Video

Looking for more ways to promote your business? Tag the Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce in your Facebook posts and we will share them on the Huntingdon, PA - Promotions & Activities page. This page is followed by more than 4,000 people and it is free advertising for you.

U.S. Chamber Pandemic Relief Resources:   Updated Guide to Emergency Loans – They have updated their information guides for the pandemic grant and loan programs. They will continue to update these as more information is provided by the SBA and Dept. of the Treasury.  Click here to view the guide document.  Pandemic Webinar Recordings - You can view the Chamber’s webinars explaining the new pandemic relief bills from late December and early January. They've uploaded the recording from this week here, plus the accompanying slides here, and you can find the recording from our December discussion here.

Resources from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce The U.S. Chamber continues to create, update, and evolve its various guides and resources. 10 Steps to Host a Vaccine Clinic  Public-Private Partnership Best Practices for Vaccine Distribution Generalized Overview of the Requirements to Host a Vaccine Clinic  The Best Ways for Employers to Promote COVID-19 Vaccines  Mask Guides: Recommendations for Wearing and Selecting  How to Select a Mask Graphic COVID Vaccines Digital Resources Center Guide to Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Loans COVID-19 Vaccines FAQ Federal Unemployment Assistance Proposals: State Impact Comparison Guide to PPP Loan Forgiveness Reopening Business Digital Resources Center Reopening Business Digital Resources Center Toolkit Small Business Reopening Playbook Main Street Lending Program Guide State-Specific Guidance Map Backgrounder on Health Coverage Options Backgrounder on Unemployment Insurance Under the CARES Act Independent Contractor's Guide to CARES Act Relief Coronavirus Emergency Loans Small Business Guide and Checklist Temporary Paid Leave and Family Medical Leave Guide Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program Guide Employee Retention Tax Credit Guide Coronavirus Small Business Guide Coronavirus Response Toolkit

Click here for access to timely resources.

Quick Connect Coaching Sessions Weekly, Tuesdays at 8:30 am Looking for a quick answer to a question related to disaster recovery, reopening, stabilizing, or projecting for growth? Then attend a "Quick Connect" session to get your questions answered. Each week a consultant will address answers related to a specific topic. Learn more

Contact Us Yvonne Martin President/ CEO [email protected] MacKenzie Huntsman Program Director [email protected] 500 Allegheny Street Huntingdon, PA 16652 Phone: 814-643-1110 Fax: 814-643-1115

Stay Connected Chamber Website ‌ ‌ ‌ Looking to start an endowment or to support community efforts? Click the logo above to learn more about the Huntingdon County Foundation.