In The Know
The Weekly Newsletter of
The Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce
Friday, February 26, 2021
|
|
This Week's Featured Video
What Startup Communities Can Learn from the Black Wall Street
From TedxTalks: "What do Silicon Valley and Tulsa, Oklahoma have in common? More than you could ever imagine. Over the past one hundred years both have been home to entrepreneurial multi-millionaires. And though comparatively fewer have heard about The Greenwood District in Tulsa, otherwise known as 'Black Wall Street;' Anthony Frasier showcases how the fabric of this once vibrant ecosystem laid the groundwork for innovation and growth all over the United States. Inspired by his predecessors in Oklahoma, Frasier’s TEDx weaves a story of a determined entrepreneur from Tulsa to Newark, who would eventually co-found The Phat Startup and breathe new life into a U.S. community."
|
|
A Message from the Jefferson County Health Commissioner |
|
Dear Local Business Owners,
The Jefferson County General Health District is focused on working with local businesses to ensure the health and safety of our county residents and your customers. We are serving the same population; therefore, it is our goal to work with you, not against you. Should we receive inquiries regarding non-compliance of Covid-19 orders, our Environmental Department will visit your business and provide a list of issues needing addressed. Our employees will present wearing a JCGHD nametag and, in most cases, apparel with our logo on it. If you have any concerns about imposters posing as Covid-19 compliance inspectors, please call the JCGHD immediately and we will investigate the situation.
Thank you,
Andrew Henry
Health Commissioner
740-283-8530
|
|
The Valley Bids Farewell to Neidengard's |
|
John and Kim Neidengard said preparing for the Feb. 27 closing of their 115-year-old family business is a bittersweet experience.
After selling Harley-Davidson motorcycles and related gear to hundreds of area residents, they are looking forward to spending more time riding together on the road and visiting their adult children and grandchildren.
But the couple of 23 years said they will miss seeing their regular customers, working with others to organize poker runs that have raised thousands for charity and carrying on a legacy culminating in the state’s oldest family-owned Harley-Davidson dealership.
Kim admitted she became a motorcycle fan after meeting John 28 years ago, noting his love of cycling started at an early age.
“I worked here probably since I was 12,” said John, who noted it was common for children in family-run businesses to help out “as soon as you were old enough.” As soon as I graduated from high school, I went to full time,” he said, adding he never thought of doing anything else.
John said in that regard, he was much like his father, John F., who had worked for his father, G.H. Neidengard, a machinist who opened the family’s first motorcycle shop at 137 South Third, Steubenville.
John said G.H. was a friend of the first Steubenville man to own a motorcycle and quickly fell in love with them.Early motorcycles were little more than bicycles with motors, noted John, but they offered low-cost transportation at a time before Henry Ford’s Model T made automobiles affordable to most people.
The Chamber would like to extend its sincere appreciation to the Neidengards for their many years of support and for representing the Jefferson County business community with passion, professionalism and care. They will be missed and remembered.
To read the full article, please click here. For WTOV9's coverage, please click here. Visit Neidengard's website here.
|
|
As Black History Month draws to a close, take a moment to check out a great article from Forbes Magazine about 100 Black-Owned businesses. Interesting, informative and a great read. |
|
Fraudulent Unemployment Claims Bombard Small Businesses
|
|
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services is publishing more information to warn employers about what to do if their business is receiving fraudulent unemployment claims, or if an individual’s identity may have been used to file a fake claim. In the last five weeks, ODJFS has had more than 5,700 employers submit reports of possible ID theft for a little over 16,000 employees. In addition, the department had 134,000 individuals report possible ID theft to date. Of those reported, over 26,000 are out of state.
“This is an active investigation and we are working with federal authorities. ODJFS has implemented new fraud detection methods. However, like any banking institution or corporation, we are not at liberty to give specifics as we do not want criminals to know what we are doing to combat fraud.”
Laurie Watson-Rotterdam is an attorney and the Treasurer of Legal Associates in Toledo, who says her offices were experiencing these issues. In October, the law offices received a 6-page request for information from someone who never worked there but submitted an unemployment claim. In January, Watson-Rotterdam received two of the same requests for information, about a week apart, for two additional people who never worked there. After notifying the ODJFS, Watson-Rotterdam says on Friday, January 29, she received seven additional fraudulent requests and two more the following Saturday.
In February, Watson-Rotterdam says a colleague at the office received a letter from the ODJFS regarding her own claim against her own company for unemployment benefits, which she did not submit. Even more worrisome, the paperwork had the last four digits of her Social Security Number.
Watson-Rotterdam says when her colleague contacted ODJFS, they notified her that the fraudulent claim for $12,000 had been approved. This colleague had also received four fraudulent requests for information from non-employees of hers. “We were alarmed and we weren’t sure if we were the only employer that was getting them, because we’re very, very small, and we don’t have a website,” explains Watson-Rotterdam. “We couldn’t figure out how these people or these claimants found our information and were able to submit claims.”
The Department of Jobs and Family Services is publishing more information about what to do if someone hasn’t applied for unemployment but received a 1099-G or any other correspondence from ODJFS. The ODJFS wants to stress they are victims of identity theft and should go online to unemployment.ohio.gov, click on the red button that says “Report Identity Theft” and then click “ID Theft: What To Do-Individuals” and follow the steps to reporting ID theft and receiving information and filing their taxes and further protecting their identity.
Please click below for an update from the Ohio Dept. of Job & Family Services.
Source:
WTVG/Toledo
|
|
Check Out Local Lenten Menu Features |
Support our local restaurants this Lenten season. Click below for a complete list of Chamber members eateries and their special menu items and features.
|
|
GOVERNOR DEWINE PRESS CONFERENCE UPDATES FROM FEBRUARY 24TH, 2021
Below are the updates from Governor DeWine and Lt. Governor Husted’s latest press conference. The next press conference is currently scheduled for Monday, March 1st a 2:00 P.M. You may view it on the WTOV9 website.
- Ohio’s COVID-19 case data is below:
- 826,149 confirmed cases
- 136,255 probable cases
- 962,404 total cases
- 49,951 hospitalizations
- 14,573 confirmed deaths
- 2,552 probable deaths
- 17,125 total deaths
- 7,104 ICU admissions
- 901,025 presumed recovered
-
More data is available on the COVID-19 Dashboard HERE.
SPRING EVENTS
- Governor DeWine yesterday announced a loosening of restrictions for sporting and entertainment venues when safety protocols are followed.
- Sporting and entertainment events will be able to reopen with 25 percent maximum indoor capacity and 30 percent maximum outdoor capacity provided they follow established precautions such as mandatory mask wearing for employees and customers, spectator pathways that allow for social distancing, and seating in groups in six-foot intervals of no more than six people from the same household.
- General admission (lawns, standing room, infields) will be permitted if masks are worn and if six-foot distancing can be marked and maintained.
-
Revised orders and guidelines are not yet finalized but will take effect March 1st.
- New guidance for proms, banquets, wedding receptions, fairs, festivals, and parades is forthcoming.
PROVIDER EXPANSION
- Next week, Ohio will receive 310,000 first doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.
- With this increase in doses, Ohio will add additional new vaccine provider sites including some Meijer and Walmart locations and more independent pharmacies.
- Providers that are currently receiving vaccines - including RiteAid, Kroger, CVS, Walgreens, local health departments, and hospitals - can anticipate larger shipments.
- Based on information provided by the federal government, once the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is available, Ohio will receive an additional 91,000 doses during the first week.
SCHOOL UPDATE
- As of this week, all doses requested by schools through the state’s vaccination program have been allocated to local providers.
- Some school staff already received their second dose, and other second dose clinics are underway.
- Ohio began making vaccines available to K-12 teachers this month with the goal of having all of Ohio’s K-12 students back to full or partial in-person learning by March 1.
- Right now, most students in Ohio districts have access to at least some in-person instruction.
- Governor DeWine expressed gratitude to school leaders who have prioritized a return to in-person instruction.
- Ohio will continue to work with the handful of schools across the state that are struggling to meet the March 1 goal.
NURSING HOME CASES/HOSPITALIZATIONS
- Ohio continues to see downward COVID-19 hospitalization trends, particularly in the 80+ age group which was among the first groups to become eligible for the vaccine. In December, those 80+ made up more than 25 percent of Ohio's COVID hospitalizations.
- This month, that number has dropped to about 18 percent.
- Ohio is also seeing a decline in COVID cases among nursing home residents. In the past week, Ohio had 369 new nursing home cases, compared to 2,832 new cases in one week in December.
- As part of the new COVID-19 Vaccine Maintenance Program, Ohio will continue vaccinating new nursing home residents, new staff hires, and those who have recently decided to take the vaccine.
- Due to the decrease in cases reported in long-term care facilities, Ohio's Veterans Homes in Sandusky and Georgetown have resumed accepting new residents, and certain restrictions on visitors at state behavioral health hospitals will be lifted beginning on March 1.
HEALTH EQUITY WEBSITE
-
Governor DeWine announced the launch of a new health equity website on coronavirus.ohio.gov that highlights Ohio's efforts to achieve equity in its pandemic response and provides resources to help communities, agencies, and organizations across the state join in those efforts.
- The new Communications Resources Hub will offer various print, digital, audio, and video resources to help Ohioans provide education about the vaccine to any number of communities.
- In addition to general resources, the website offers materials created for specific groups, including minorities and Ohioans who speak English as a second language.
OHIO PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY SYSTEM
- For the first time in several weeks, Ohio's Public Health Advisory System has shown change in the amount of spread in some Ohio counties. Holmes, Mercer, Shelby, and Williams counties decreased to a Level 2 (Orange) Public Health Emergency.
TECHCRED
- Lt. Governor Jon Husted yesterday reminded Ohioans about the benefits of TechCred, which helps Ohioans learn new in-demand skills while also helping employers build a stronger workforce with the skills needed in a technology-infused economy.
- There are more than 1,000 pre-approved credentials offered through the program.
- These technology-focused credentials take only a year or less to complete and prepare current and future employees for the technology jobs Ohio employers need.
- Businesses can be reimbursed up to $2,000 for each credential earned by an employee and up to $30,000 total each application period.
Ohioans may 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.
|
|
Face-To-Face Coffee & Connections Returns!
With two important workshops afterward.
The Chamber is excited to be hosting its first, in-person Coffee & Connections after nearly a year! On Wednesday, March 10th, join us at St. Florian Event Center in Wintersville for a delicious breakfast followed by our popular and fun speed-networking session. We'll be able to safely distance, and of course, mask mandates will be in place. Bring business cards, flyers, menus, giveaway items, or brochures to distribute.
Afterward, we will be hosting our "New Member Orientation" at 9:30 for those new to the Chamber or anyone who would like a refresher on how to make the most of their membership. And from 10:30 to noon, learn all you need to know about the Chamber's new online selling platform at the "Shop Where I Live 101" workshop. Bring your laptop or tablet and we'll help you get registered, set up, and answer any questions you may have. If you're already on Shop Where I Live, it's a great chance to get up to speed on adding more products or any other areas that you may have questions about. There's no charge for the workshop, which will run from 10:30 to noon and no RSVP is necessary for the either of the post-Coffee & Connections events.
|
|
What: "Coffee & Connections"
When: Wednesday, March 10th, 2021
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Where: St. Florian Event Center
Cost: $15 per person ($20 for walk-ins)
RSVP: By clicking here or the button below.
|
|
2021 Membership Directory & Community Guide
Virtual version, changeable display ads and more
|
|
Be a part of the beautiful full-color 2021 Membership Directory & Community Guide that will be out this spring. Your display ad is designed for free and you are able to change it throughout the year at no charge. Perfect for seasonal messages or promotions, events that you want to advertise, or even job openings. Your ad also links directly to your website or social media page.
Be on the lookout for a call from Lunar Cow Publishing, our partner on this important projects. Questions, contact the Chamber offices at 740.282.6226.
|
|
CONTINUE TO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL EATERIES, BREW PUBS, BAKERIES, AND WINERIES.
As the Ohio Valley continues to reopen safely, remember to continue supporting our local, Chamber member food businesses. They are working hard to adapt to your needs and come back from months of restrictions and limitations. Click here for the latest issue of "Let's Eat!"
|
|
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.
|
|
Free Medical Care
Ohio Valley Health Center Assists Local Employers & Workers
|
Does your business have employees who need healthcare assistance due to gaps or limitations in their coverage? Do you have employees who have high deductibles that prevent them from seeking the care they need or employees who are without health insurance altogether?
We can help. The Ohio Valley Health Center is a medical clinic that provides free medical care and medication assistance for anyone in the Ohio Valley who is medically uninsured or underinsured. And this includes employees of our local workforce. We are proud to offer high-quality management programs for Diabetes and Hypertension besides other beneficial programs. Patients of our “Free to Be Healthy” program are provided with all the necessary supplies and training to successfully manage their Diabetes and/or Hypertension. All patients are offered access to free screenings for Colorectal Cancer, Mammograms, PAP Smears and Vision.
OVHC is committed to helping patients however we are able. And we are committed to helping you, as an employer, get important healthcare information to your workers. For those on Medicare who still have difficulty paying for their medications, or individuals with private insurance who are having financial limitations, we may be able to provide assistance based on individual need and circumstance.
For more information, call 740.283.2856 or via email at director@ovhealthcenter.org. Visit the health center's website by clicking below. The Ohio Valley Health Center is located at 423 South Street in Steubenville. Regular office hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday.
|
|
 |
Sweet 'n Spicy Sunday and
"Tray Day" Tuesday
Every week, Gem City Pizza offers 2 days of specials to make your dinner plan easy and delicious:
- Sweet 'n Spicy Sunday - Get 1 tray for $14 or 2 trays for $27
- Tray Day Tuesday - Get 1 tray for $13 or 2 trays for $25 (Regular Trays only)
These offers are good for pick-up and delivery. We also offer a pick-up window for customers who prefer curbside pick up.
Gem City Pizza is open 7 days a week:
Monday - Thursday 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Sunday 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
|
|
|
|
Scaffidi's Offers Delivery
For more information, please contact Frankie DiCarlantonio at (740) 314-5233 or email at frankie@scaffidirg.com. You may also visit the Scaffidi's Facebook page here.
|
|
|
|
Amanda's Gifts & More Celebrates Its One-year Anniversary |
|
This Saturday marks Amanda's Gifts and More's one-year anniversary! Owners, Joan and Amanda invite everyone to stop in and visit from noon to 5 p.m. to check out all of their new offerings. There will be door prize drawings and discounts throughout the day. Come check out their amazing selection of crystals, candles, incense, jewelry and unique gift items. For more info, please contact Joan Wallace at (304) 280-6900 or via email at joanwallace1@yahoo.com. Safety protocols will be in place.
Check out our Facebook page here. For a downloadable copy of the event flyer, please click here.
|
|
|
RSVP Volunteer Opportunities
Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), an AmeriCorp Seniors program is seeking volunteers for the Jefferson County area.
Opportunities include: Ohio Valley Health Center, Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, Red Cross (additional application and training required by Red Cross), Urban Mission, and the Cancer Dietary Initiative.
For more information, please contact Marti Leake at 330-424-7877 or via email at mleake@fcsserves.org. AmeriCorps Senior is located at 966 1/2 N. Market Street in Lisbon, Ohio. Check out the website here.
|
|
|
|
Around the State. Around the Country.
Up-to-Date Information from the Ohio and United States Chamber of Commerce
|
|
Update: Regulatory Reform Measure Clears Senate Committee
On Wednesday, the Ohio Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee passed Senate Bill 9 by a vote of 4-2. With today’s action, it is our hope that the bill will receive a full Senate vote in the near future.
Earlier this month, the Ohio Chamber put forth proponent testimony regarding Senate Bill 9; a measure that would reduce regulatory restrictions for administrative agencies by 30% by the year 2025.
Additionally, the bill would stipulate that if the agency cannot meet this reduction schedule, they must comply with the “2-for-1” requirement for any new regulatory restriction.
This bill has appeared in the previous two general assemblies – SB 293 in the 132nd general assembly and SB 1 in the 133rd general assembly – each time receiving support from the Ohio Chamber as well as other business trade associations.
Read the article in its entirety by clicking here.
|
|
Three Trade Imperatives for the
Biden Administration
The Biden administration’s trade team is inheriting a number of thorny, near-term challenges with broad implications for American workers, farmers, and businesses. From the White House to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and across the cabinet, it will be important for officials to remain focused on the big picture—including imperatives such as these.
1) Remember Trade is an Engine of Growth
More than 95% of the world’s consumers live outside the U.S., and securing better access to those markets to allow the export of more
American-made goods and services is critical to U.S. economic growth.
Trade can boost job creation as well. Economists generally agree trade’s impact on the labor market is qualitative: That is, it favors the expansion of more productive sectors offering higher-paying jobs.
Read the article in its entirety by clicking here.
|
|
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:
Social Chemistry: Decoding the Patterns of Human Connection
by Marissa King
Yale professor Marissa King shows how anyone can build more meaningful and productive relationships based on insights from neuroscience, psychology, and network analytics. Conventional wisdom says it's the size of your network that matters, but social science research has proven otherwise. King explains that the quality and structure of our relationships has the greatest impact on our personal and professional lives.
Borrow the book by clicking here.
|
|
|
Today in History
- February 26, 1869 -
Joint Resolution proposing the Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution passed
From Visit the Capitol: Passed by Congress February 26, 1869, and ratified by three-fourths of the states on February 3, 1870, the Fifteenth Amendment granted African-American males the right to vote.
The amendment was only the beginning of the struggle for voting rights.
Over the next century many blacks were denied the right to vote by a series of state laws, fraud and intimidation.
It was not until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and subsequent legislation that African Americans were assured of their right to participate in U.S. elections.
Source: Records of the United States Government, National Archives and Records Administration
For more events that took place on
February 26th, please click here.
|
|
|
|
DID YOU KNOW?
- Before there was Rosa Parks, there was Claudette Colvin.
- Inoculation was introduced to America by a slave.
- The earliest recorded protest against slavery was by the Quakers in 1688.
- One in four cowboys was Black, despite the stories told in popular books and movies.
- Esther Jones was the real Betty Boop.
For details on these and other little-known Black History Facts, click here.
|
|
|
|
|
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:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Get The Information You Need - The Chamber Staff Is Here To Help |
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Contact Us
The Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce
630 Market Street
Steubenville, OH 43952
Phone: 740.282.6226
Fax: 740.282.6285
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
