The anthem that went national

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Waverly, OH - Most Friday night high school basketball games are fairly predictable. The fans enter the gymnasium, the players warm-up, the national anthem is played and the starting lineups are announced before the game begins. On the average night, most of the excitement that takes place occurs between the lines on the hardwood after the ball is tipped off. This night, however, proved to be different from the very start.

Johnny Futhey is a Waverly parent who has two sons on the Waverly basketball team and happens to take photos at the Tiger games. According to Futhey, the Tigers' tilt with the West Senators last Friday evening looked just like any other leading up to the playing of the national anthem, "I was on the court getting ready to take pictures of the game and noticed that the public address announcer was having some trouble getting the anthem to play. He seemed frustrated and even threw his hands up in the air in frustration at one point." There was a long pause and it seemed to everyone in the gym that the national anthem would be skipped over due to technical difficulties. Futhey says that just when it seemed like there wouldn't be an anthem, Vickey Brown nudged her husband Trenton and he delivered, "There was this period of silence and then Trenton's wife kind of nudged him and told him he should sing and all of a sudden he belts out this amazing rendition of The Star Spangled Banner."

.....  Read More in the Pike County News Watchman >

Portsmouth (Piketon, OH)

Site D&D Contractor Marks 4 Million Safe Work Hours

PIKE COUNTY, Ohio - Workers for the deactivation and decommissioning prime contractor at

	Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth employees celebrate their achievement of 4 million safe work hours at the Portsmouth Site.

the Portsmouth Site recently celebrated 4 million safe work hours without a lost-time injury.

The nearly 2,000 employees and subcontractors for Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth (FBP) worked 1.4 million of those hours under pandemic protocols.

"This is a remarkable accomplishment for everyone on the team and it is especially impressive when we consider how much work we have done here while balancing safety on a daily basis," Portsmouth Site Project Director JD Dowell said.

While the pandemic has impacted daily life, the commitment to safety has remained strong, Dowell added.

"From starting each day with the daily safety sheet to working together in safety work groups, every employee has played a part in making this milestone a reality," Dowell said.

Duane McLane, FBP's environment, safety, health, and quality director, credited the workforce, safety work groups, supervisors, and others for the achievement.

"It is rewarding to see the dedication to our safety goals and reaching this level of success," McLane said.

-Contributors: Donnie Locke, Cindi Remy

Adena taking aggressive, innovative steps

to meet Coronavirus challenges

Dire circumstances often require creative responses. That's certainly been the case for Adena Health System in the midst of its largest COVID-19 patient surge since the pandemic began in the spring.

In addition to challenges created by recent rapid and marked increases in COVID positive patient volumes, mounting hospitalizations across the region also have virtually eliminated the possibility of being able to transfer patients to other health systems when Coronavirus surge numbers exceed Adena Regional Medical Center's (ARMC) 30-bed COVID cohort unit's capacity.

In order to continue providing the most comprehensive care, not only for its COVID-19 patients but those utilizing other medical services in the communities served by Adena, the Health System has turned to several new initiatives and solutions for meeting the challenges presented by COVID-19.

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Upcoming TechCred Application Period Opens January 4th

Lt. Governor Jon Husted, who serves as Director of the Governor's Office of Workforce Transformation, announced the results of the October round of TechCred, which will provide the opportunity for 246 Ohio companies to upskill their workforce.

The most recent TechCred application period closed at the end of October. During this round, 246 Ohio employers were approved for funding, resulting in Ohio employees earning up to 3,164 technology-focused credentials. This round marks a milestone as funding for the program has been approved for over 15,000 credentials.  

In August, the TechCred program exceeded 10,000 tech-focused credentials, fulfilling a commitment made by Governor DeWine and Lt. Governor Husted to fund 10,000 technology-focused credentials each year.

Since the program's start, a total of 966 Ohio employers have been approved for funding, supporting the earning of 15,105 tech-focused credentials by Ohio employees.

The seventh TechCred application period opens on Monday, January 4^th and closes on January 29^th at 3:00 p.m.

Businesses with employees who have completed their TechCred training are reminded to submit proof of credential completion to receive reimbursement at TechCred.Ohio.gov.

You can learn more about the program at TechCred.Ohio.gov.