In The Know
The Weekly Newsletter of
The Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce
Friday, April 16, 2021
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It's A Day To Say Thanks!
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Sure, we don't say "secretary" anymore and often it's not one person, but a team effort, that keeps your business or organization running smoothly. But that's no reason to miss the chance to say "thank you" to those whom you could not imagine being without, when it comes to getting things done.
Administrative Professionals Day is next week! It's Wednesday, April 21st. Why not plan ahead this year and show your gratitude with a gift, gift card, flowers or plant, food delivery, breakfast, lunch or dinner out, happy hour, coffee break, a bottle of wine, a unique gift item or some much needed pampering. We have provided you with a quick and comprehensive guide to our local, member businesses below. All you have to do is pick up the phone or go online.
Remember, your continued support of local businesses benefits your business or organization as well, with your purchases recycling many times in the form of tax dollars, increased spending by fellow citizens, more jobs and an increased sense of community pride.
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Shopping & Dining Guide
Check out our extensive list of local retailers and food-related businesses. Learn more by clicking through to their website or Facebook page.
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Online Gift Cards
The Chamber's new, "Shop Where I Live" platform continues to grow with the online purchasing of unique products and gift cards available conveniently and quickly. Have your cards mailed directly to recipient, or call after your purchase to request pick-up.
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Ohio Valley Shop Where I Live
There's never been a better time to support your local, fellow business owners. Check out this new and exciting website that is FREE to Chamber members. Need help getting your business listing, gift cards, or products up? It's fast and easy and the Chamber's here to help.
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Below are the updates from Governor DeWine’s press conferences. The next press conference is currently scheduled for Thursday, April 22nd, at 2:00pm. You may view it on the WTOV9 website.
Here’s the news from today:
- Ohio’s COVID-19 case data is below:883,946 confirmed cases
- 164,163 probable cases
- 1,048,109 total cases
- 989,861 presumed recovered
- 54,636 hospitalizations
- 18,917 Ohio resident deaths
- 18,910 deaths in State of Ohio
- 7,604 ICU admissions
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200 cases per 100,000 Ohioans (updated weekly on Thursdays and can be found HERE)
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More data is available on the COVID-19 Dashboard HERE.
VARIANT SPREAD
- Governor DeWine announced today that more than 36 percent of Ohioans have now received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, however, Ohio's statewide case incidence number has reached 200 cases per 100,000 people as compared to 144 cases per 100,000 people four weeks ago.There are currently more than 1,300 COVID-positive patients in Ohio's hospitals.
- The majority of the counties with the highest incidence of cases in Ohio are in the northern region of the state which is seeing a high level of variant cases.Lucas County is currently seeing the highest occurrence of cases with 341.1 cases per 100,000 county residents.
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Franklin County increased to Alert Level 4 (purple) on Ohio Public Health Advisory System due to a sustained increase in COVID-related emergency room visits, outpatient visits, and hospital admissions.
VACCINATION OPPORTUNITIES
- There are a significant number of vaccine providers across the state with open vaccination appointments for this week and next week.Several sites are also accepting walk-up appointments including the mass vaccination clinic at Summit County's fairgrounds, Franklin County's regional mass vaccination clinic, and the Youngstown clinics at the Covelli Centre and Congregation Rodef Sholom Temple.
- Ohio's mass vaccination clinic at the Wolstein Center in downtown Cleveland is also opening a satellite vaccination clinic on Friday and Saturday in Maple Heights which has many open appointments for the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
INCLUSIVE EMPLOYER TOOLKIT
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Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) today announced the launch of the Inclusive Employer Toolkit designed to help employers recruit, hire, and retain employees with disabilities and foster an inclusive workplace.
- Recruitment and retention are challenges for many businesses. Individuals with disabilities represent a talent pool that is often hidden and underutilized. The Inclusive Employer Toolkit, which can be used in its entirety or by section, is a guide to creating an inclusive workplace and accessing this hidden pool of talent.
- The Toolkit includes four main topics:
1. Building the Business Case – benefitting from hiring people with disabilities
2. Inclusive Workplace – making the workplace inclusive of everyone
3. Recruiting, Hiring, and Supporting Employees – getting access to a greater pool of talent
4. Workplace Accommodations – making small changes can make a big difference
CASE DATA & VACCINE INFORMATION
Ohioans can apply for unemployment benefits online 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at unemployment.ohio.gov. It is also possible to file by phone at 877-644-6562 or TTY at 888- 642-8203, Monday through Friday 7AM to 7PM, Saturday 9AM to 5PM, and Sunday 9AM to 1PM. Employers with questions should email UCTech@jfs.ohio.gov.
As always, Coronavirus.Ohio.Gov and the Department of Health hotline, 1-833-4-ASK-ODH are great resources for those who have questions.
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This Week's Featured Video
Pandemic-Year Taxes: What You Need to Know
From the Wall Street Journal: "The coronavirus pandemic disrupted the global economy in ways that may affect your 2020 taxes. WSJ tax reporter Richard Rubin shares his tips for this unusual tax season." Watch video by clicking "Play."
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Buy Local for Administrative Professional's Day on Wednesday, April 21st! |
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36th Annual Trinity Health System Chamber Golf Classic
This event is the Chamber's biggest fundraiser and a great way to promote your business, enjoy some friendly competition, or volunteer alongside fellow Chamber members and their employees.
Watch your email for your official invitation. And in the meantime, reserve your team spot or get more information by clicking below.
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Health Fair at "The Fort"
The Jefferson County Health Department is hosting an event on Friday, April 30th, to celebrate National Minority Health Month. Please see the details below and if you are interested in setting up a booth, email Jefferson County Health Commissioner Andrew Henry at ahenry@jchealth.com.
Program: Health Fair at “The Fort”
Purpose: Celebration of National Minority Health Month
Date: Friday, April 30th
Time: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Location: Historic Fort Steuben
Vendors should have a service that impacts the health of our community.
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OhioMeansJobs To Host Virtual Job Fair For Expansive List of Industries
Don’t miss this opportunity – An easy, free, and effective way to find quality employees
OhioMeansJobs Area 16 invites all Chamber member businesses and organizations to participate in its Virtual Job Fair (VJF) event to be held on Thursday, April 29th, 2021, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The following industries are invited to participate:
· TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS
· DISTRIBUTION & WAREHOUSING
· HEALTHCARE
· CONSTRUCTION & EXTRACTION
· PROFESSIONAL & ADMINISTRATIVE
· MANUFACTURING
· TREE SERVICES & LANDSCAPING
· HOSPITALITY & TOURISM
· RETAIL
· SOCIAL SERVICES
· SECURITY & CORRECTIONS
· MAINTENANCE & MECHANICS
This will be a “no charge” virtual career fair event for employers/companies and jobseekers alike. All that is required to attend this event is a computer or mobile device with a good internet connection.
Virtual job fairs are quickly becoming an excellent tool for employers/companies to interact with potential employees, transforming the way in which job seekers interview for employment.
Please click below to watch the company training video prior to beginning your registration process. To begin your company’s registration, please follow the instructions and procedures set forth in the Premier Virtual Training Video.
Registration closes at 1 p.m. on April 23rd. We ask that you have your job vacancies and other company information posted in your virtual booth at that time.
Any questions, comments, or concerns while setting up your registration, please contact Workforce Development Area 16 Business Outreach Executive Bradley Wells at bwells_cac@hotmail.com.
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"Shop Where I Live" In Person & Online Workshops |
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The Chamber is making it easy for you to participate in the new "Shop Where I Live" online selling platform with ongoing webinars that will educate and inform you as to the many benefits and features of the platform. There is no charge with these. And please note that the online webinar times shown on the calendar are in Central Standard Time, one hour earlier than us. See below for details.
Shop Where I Live is free to Chamber members, takes just minutes to set up, and provides a 24/7 online shopping platform for your business or organization. Sell products, gift cards, or event tickets. Accept donations, provide downloadable coupons, and let prospective customers send you an inquiry. Isn't it time you had an online presence and an up-to-date promotional platform? We can help.
I. Monthly Marketing Webinar
Tuesday, April 20th 1 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. (CDT)
II. E-Commerce Best Practices
Friday, April 30th 2 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. (CDT)
Virtual workshops will be held the second Wednesday of every month to explore a new feature of the Vendor Dashboard and how to best use it for your business. Each webinar will have a 15-minute tutorial on a specific feature of the platform, then 15 minutes for questions and answers and other tutorials, as needed. (Times shown are in Central Standard Time zone, which is one hour earlier than ours.)
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Creating the New Retail Experience
Web Training
Growing your business by converting more personal and digital visits into sales is more than just a sales number. To increase conversations and sales, you have to provide a consistent and unique experience for the client and the prospective client. This engaging training session will illustrate inexpensive ideas to get the affection of your clients, regain their trust, and benefit from their loyalty.
At the web training, you will learn store transformation, personalization, digital technology, and differentiating your company.
Please Note: Acceptance of RSVPs is limited to businesses and individuals in our 13-county service region which includes: Athens, Meigs, Washington, Morgan, Noble, Monroe, Belmont, Guernsey, Muskingum, Fairfield, Hocking, Perry, and Licking Counties.
For more information, please contact Trenia Twyman, Ohio SBDC at Ohio University, at 740-597-1460 or via email at twyman@ohio.edu.
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Watch Construction of the Wellsburg Bridge Lift Live!
We're sure you've heard about the new bridge that's being built across the Ohio River near Wellsburg about 16 miles north of Wheeling that will connect with Brilliant, Ohio. By pressing the button below, you can watch a livestream of the bridge being built.
The Ohio Side Camera is at the west shore and shows the approximate area where the bridge will pass over OH Rt.7.
Photo by Warren Scott
The West Virginia Side Camera is about 1.5 miles upstream, where they are building the main span in a dockyard.
"Sometimes the videos can get exciting, like when a crane drives past," Martin E. Dougherty, project engineer with the West Virginia Department of Transportation, said via email. He also gave these details on the process: "They cut two notches in the shore and are building the bridge on two barges. The piers at the main span are designed to tie up the barges; they will resist the river forces exerted on the barges. The span will be jacked, and steel cribbing slid under it. Reposition the jacks, another lift, more cribbing. Repeat until span is in position. I’m sure this a piece of cake compared to, say, the new San Francisco Bay bridge. But, it’s exciting for us!"
On Thursday, Warren Scott of the Weirton Daily Times reported that plans to move the 830-foot-long main span by barge next week were being postponed by a day.
"The tied-arch span will now be moved by barge beginning the morning of April 21, and lifted onto its piers early April 22," Scott wrote. "State officials have stressed weather will be a major influence on plans to transport the main span down river on four barges about a mile south of Wellsburg, where large hydraulic cranes will be used to lift it 80 feet into the air and onto its piers."
The rest of the article can be read here.
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CONTINUE TO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL EATERIES, BREW PUBS, BAKERIES, AND WINERIES.
As the Ohio Valley continues to get back to normal, remember that our food-related businesses are still struggling with capacity limitations and recovering from over a year of interrupted income. Do your part by supporting our local, Chamber member food businesses for dine in, delivery, and take-out. Click here for the latest issue of "Let's Eat!"
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Member Morsels
Member Morsels are free and an easy, fast way to reach hundreds each week. It reaches the entire Chamber database each Friday - that's over 850 local business owners, managers, and employees.
Remember to visit individual member websites by clicking on the business name or logo. Submit your Member Morsel by clicking the button below.
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A Caring Place CAC
Virtual Happy Hour Fundraiser
On Monday, April 26th, from 8 p.m. to 9:40 p.m., A Caring Place will be hosting a Virtual Happy Hour to support child victims of sexual abuse in Jefferson County.
Join us for a fun night of mixology lessons and games!
We'll be using the online platform Social Hour to host our first-ever virtual fundraiser.
Once you have purchased a ticket, instructions for using Social Hour and instructions for the cocktails we'll be making will be emailed to you.
Bennigan's bartender, Sabrina, will be teaching us how to make two cocktails and a mocktail.
Prize drawings, 50/50, and games will occur throughout the night.
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Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Coordinator Marti Leake will be at the Vend 'N Spend event at the Fort Steuben Mall on Saturday, April 17th, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Stop by and chat with her about volunteer opportunities in Jefferson County and to sign up for RSVP/AmeriCorp Seniors!
She will have on hand RSVP swag and a gift basket available for raffle (entries are free to all who stop by and chat).
For more information, please contact Marti Leake at 330-424-7877 or via email at mleake@fcsserves.org.
Looking forward to seeing you all there!
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The Gaslite Presents the
Sunny Sunseri Jazz Band
On Tuesday, April 20th, The Gaslite will host the Sunny Sunseri Jazz Band from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. This event is free. Call for reservations now at 740-264-2225. For more information, please call Anita Petrella at 740-632-5466.
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Around the State. Around the Country.
Up-to-Date Information from the Ohio and United States Chamber of Commerce
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Income Tax Cut Among Initial
House Changes to State Budget Bill
Earlier today, the Ohio House of Representatives delivered its first changes to the two-year operating budget for the state of Ohio (House Bill 110). While we still explore the many changes made to the original budget submitted by Gov. Mike DeWine, a few high-level items are of note and discussed below.
The House offered a two percent across the board rate cut on all nonbusiness income. This proposal would reduce the current top rate from 4.797% to 4.701 starting this calendar year. This change, combined with the tax conformity changes in Senate Bill 18 enacted this past March, may provide Ohio taxpayers up to $500 million in tax relief this biennium. There were other less significant tax changes in the amended budget, and those will be discussed in future tax specific blog entries.
Read the article in its entirety by clicking here.
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The Path Forward: Expert Panelists Answer Your COVID-19 Questions
Fill me in: Last week’s Path Forward featured a group of five experts hosting live “Ask Me Anything” sessions about COVID-19.
On topics ranging from how rapid testing works to which vaccines are best to whether employees can require employees to get vaccinated — the experts fielded them all in real time.
The Path Forward is a U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation event series designed to help business and community leaders find the answers they need to execute a responsible reopening strategy and plan for a post-pandemic world.
What happened? The panelists zeroed in on a few major themes...
Read the article in its entirety by clicking here.
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The Library Link
Great Books About Business With Just A Click
Please Note: The Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County is open for curbside service. Visit www.steubenvillelibrary.org to order books, then call your library branch to schedule an appointment to pick up your library items. Library branch contact information and operating hours are available by clicking here on this link from the website.
Your link to success begins at the library. With each week of "In The Know,"
you to a business book or magazine that will inspire, teach, inform, or elevate you, professionally and personally. This week:
Data Detective:
Ten Easy Rules to Make Sense of Statistics
by Tim Harford
Today we think statistics are the enemy, numbers used to mislead and confuse us. That's a mistake, Tim Harford says in The Data Detective. We shouldn't be suspicious of statistics-we need to understand what they mean and how they can improve our lives: they are, at heart, human behavior seen through the prism of numbers and are often "the only way of grasping much of what is going on around us." In The Data Detective, Tim uses new research in science and psychology to set out ten strategies for using statistics to erase our biases and replace them with new ideas that use virtues like patience, curiosity, and good sense to better understand ourselves and the world.
Click here to borrow a copy of this book.
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Today in History
- April 16, 1889 -
Hollywood legend Charlie Chaplin born
From History: On April 16, 1889, future Hollywood legend Charlie Chaplin is born Charles Spencer Chaplin in London, England.
Chaplin, one of the most financially successful stars of early Hollywood, was introduced to the stage when he was five. The son of London music hall entertainers, young Chaplin was watching a show starring his mother when her voice cracked. He was quickly shuffled onto the stage to finish the act.
Chaplin’s father died when Chaplin was a toddler, and when his mother had a nervous breakdown Chaplin and his older half-brother, Sydney, roamed London, where they danced on the streets and collected pennies in a hat. They eventually went to an orphanage and joined the Eight Lancashire Lads, a children’s dance troupe. When Chaplin was 17, he developed his comedic skills with the help of Fred Karno’s company, for which his half-brother had already become a popular comedian.
Soon, Chaplin’s bowler hat, out-turned feet, mustache and walking cane became his trademark. He joined the Keystone company and filmed Making a Living, in which he played a mustachioed villain who wore a monocle. It wasn’t long before he also worked on the other side of the camera, helping direct his 12th film and directing his 13th, Caught in the Rain, on his own.
Chaplin refined what would soon become his legacy, the character Charlie the Tramp, and signed on with the Essanay company in 1915 for $1,250 a week, plus a $10,000 bonus–quite a jump from the $175 that Keystone paid him. The next year, he signed with Mutual for $10,000 a week, plus a $150,000 bonus under a contract that required him to make 12 films annually but granted him complete creative control over the pictures. And in 1918, he signed a contract with First National for $1 million for eight films. A masterful silent film actor and pantomimist who could elicit both laughter and tears from his audiences, Chaplin resisted the arrival of sound in movies. Indeed, in his first film that featured sound (City Lights in 1931), he only used music. His first true sound film was 1940’s The Great Dictator, in which he mocked fascism.
Chaplin founded United Artists Corporation in 1919 with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and director D.W. Griffith. Chaplin married twice more, both times to teenage girls. His fourth wife, Oona O’Neill, who was 18 when she married the 54-year-old actor, was the daughter of playwright Eugene O’Neill.
Though he had lived in the United States for 42 years, Chaplin never became a U.S. citizen. A vocal pacifist, Chaplin was accused of communist ties, which he denied. Nevertheless, in 1952, immigration officials prevented Chaplin and his wife from re-entering the United States after a foreign tour. The couple did not return to the United States for 20 years; instead they settled in Switzerland with their eight children. Chaplin returned to America in 1972 to accept a special Academy Award for “the incalculable effect he has had on making motion pictures the art for and of this century.” He was knighted Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin in 1975. He died two years later.
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For more events that took place on
April 16th, please click here.
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Today is National Wear Your Pajamas To Work Day!
Did You Know?
- It’s believed that pajamas go back to the Ottoman Empire and were first invented in India.
- In Southern Asia, pajamas are often called “Night Suits.” This is also their name in parts of Africa.
- The largest footed PJ party in the world was held on March 11, 2012, in Texas. 309 adults attended.
- During the 1920s, some people would wear their pajamas to the beach.
- Prior to the 1950s, flapjacks on pajamas were common to make it easier for the user to use the bathroom.
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Questions about Oil & Gas?
These non-profit organizations are here to help you stay up-to-date on the oil and gas industry in Jefferson County:
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Get The Information You Need - The Chamber Staff Is Here To Help |
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Hannah Ward
Administrative & Membership Coordinator
Contact Hannah with changes to your membership information, questions regarding events or programs, or assistance with scheduling an Eblast or Member Morsel.
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Tricia Maple-Damewood
President
Contact Tricia with suggestions, input or feedback on member programming, how to get involved on a committee or special project or with questions related to Chamber membership.
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Craig Cribbs, Reso, Inc.
Billing Support
740-275-4940
Contact Craig with invoice or billing questions and to make a dues, event or sponsorship payment.
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Contact Us
The Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce
630 Market Street
Steubenville, OH 43952
Phone: 740.282.6226
Fax: 740.282.6285
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