OMEGA board will meet in county

The Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association (OMEGA) will hold its executive board meeting at the Steubenville Country Club on Wednesday, Sept. 16. The meeting will begin at noon.

Fred Deel, executive director for the Governor’s Office of Appalachia, will serve as guest speaker. Steubenville native Lou Gentile is the assistant director for the GOA.

Steubenville Mayor Domenick Mucci, secretary of the OMEGA board, worked with Greg DiDonato, OMEGA’s director, to bring this meeting to Jefferson County.

“This is a great opportunity for us to showcase our county and learn more about the OMEGA organization and the valuable assistance it provides,” Mucci said.

The cost for the luncheon is $15. Reservations can be made by contacting the Jefferson County Regional Commission office at 283-8568.  The Jefferson County commissioners, the city of Steubenville and Progress Alliance are serving as the host organizations for the September meeting.

Board hears about four-state shared vision

Allen Kukovich, executive director of the Power of 32, encouraged the Community Improvement Corporation Board of Trustees this week to continue efforts to work as part of a regional team.

He was the featured speaker for the August board meeting, hosted by the city of Steubenville and held in Historic Fort Steuben.

“We can accomplish many things by working together on a regional basis, collaborating together and creating a shared vision,” he said. “We can take our collaborative work and build on our accomplishments.”

The Power of 32 was launched in May and includes 32 counties from eastern Ohio (including Jefferson), northern West Virginia, southwestern Pennsylvania and western Maryland.

The September CIC board meeting will be held on Sept. 15 at the Fort Steuben Mall.

BHJ sets date for annual awards dinner

The Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission will hold its 11^th annual Awards Dinner on Thursday, Sept. 10 in Weirton’s Serbian-American Cultural Center.

The public is welcome to attend and participate in this regional celebration of outstanding volunteer and public service work.

The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with dinner starting at 7 p.m. Individual tickets are priced at $30 and are available by calling the BHJ office (740) 282-368 or (304) 797-9666. Reservations also can be made by e-mailing ltaylor@bhjmpc.org.

Seminar will address legal concerns

A seminar discussing key legal questions facing entrepreneurs in Ohio will be held on Wednesday from 1-4 p.m. in Shannon Hall at Ohio University’s Eastern Campus, 45425 National Road West, St. Clairsville.

The seminar, featuring Beth B. Ferrier and Sowash Ferrier, is being sponsored by TechGrowth Ohio, the Ohio Small Business Development Centers and the Belmont County Community Improvement Corporation.

The registration fee is $20.  For more information, contact Liz Stinaff (740) 593-9588 or Sue Douglass (740) 695-9678.  More information is available at www.techgrowthohio.com.  The registration deadline is Monday.

E-cycling event is set for Saturday

The Jefferson-Belmont Regional Solid Waste Authority will sponsor an E-Cycling collection event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Fort Steuben Mall.

According to Tom Bottorf, interim executive director of the authority, this is the second year the collection event will be held at the mall.

“This is a chance for county residents to get rid of electronic items and not send the materials to a landfill,” Bottorf said.

The collection will take place in the mall parking lot near the Sears Auto and Tire building.

Carnival to launch United Way drive

The United Way of Jefferson County will kick off its 2010 campaign with a carnival, high schools bands, a cheering competition and a pizza eating contest.  The event is set to begin at 5 p.m. on Sept. 1 at St. John Arena and is the first step toward collecting $430,000, which is this year’s goal.

“Every school in the county has agreed to participate, and we anticipate an exciting and fun-filled event,” said Nancy Grim, United Way director.  Activities during the three-hour carnival will include inflatable rides, senior bingo, face painting, helium balloons, putt-putt golf, crafts and a rock band video game.