Mingo resident wins the ‘Green Machine’

Ron Hoover, a Mingo Junction resident, is the winner of the “Green Machine,” the total electric neighborhood vehicle assembled by Wildfire Motors in the Jefferson County Industrial Park.Hoover’s winning ticket was drawn Thursday night during the 101^st annual Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce dinner.  Don Snyder, president and CEO of Wildfire, donated the vehicle to the chamber and Progress Alliance to be used for a fundraiser.

Tickets for the car, which carries a sticker price of $15,000, have been sold since March. Progress Alliance and the chamber want to thank all local residents who either sold or purchased tickets.

CIC board will visit Toronto on Oct. 20

The Community Improvement Corporation Board of Trustees will meet on Oct. 20 in the Toronto Municipal Building, 416 Clark St. The meeting, to be held in City Council chambers, will start at 3:30 p.m.  Irene A. Moore, administrator of the Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District, will be the featured speaker. She will brief the board on the economic impact of agriculture in Jefferson County.

The Nov. 17 CIC meeting, hosted by Jefferson County, will be held at the Jobs and Family Services office on South Fifth Street. The Dec. 15 session will be held at the IBEW hall, located on North Fourth Street.  Progress Alliance currently is working on its 2010 meeting schedule and is seeking meeting locations. For more information, contact Ed Looman at (740) 283-2476 or via e-mail at elooman@progressalliance.com

Home Channel News features county company

The latest edition of Home Channel News includes a detailed article featuring Bully Tools (QPI Tools), located in the Jefferson County Industrial Park.  In the article, Mark Gracy, owner of the growing local business, is described as being part of a proud minority, a domestic manufacturer of made-in-the-U.S.A. products. Across the industry, companies like Bully Tools point the growing advantages of domestic manufacturing.

Invariably, the article notes, these companies point to the ability of a domestic plant to respond to customers’ demand for speed and their own increasing need for control and flexibility.  The complete article is included with this week’s Progress Alliance newsletter.

JCC enrollment exceeds 2,000 mark

Jefferson Community College has more than 2,000 students enrolled this fall.  Student headcount hit 2,053 this fall, the first time the college exceeded the 2,000 mark in its history. In the past 10 years, the college’s enrollment grew 47 percent, JCC officials noted.  In a related matter, JCC officials announced they will be making “a grand announcement” on Oct. 15 about the college’s future. The special guest at the event will be Ohio Chancellor Eric Fingerhut.

Best of County nomination process opens

Progress Alliance currently is accepting nominees for 2010 Best of Jefferson County awards.  Those selected will be honored during the second annual best of the county awards dinner scheduled for March.

Nomination forms now are available on the organization’s website, www.theburb.org and also can be obtained at the Progress Alliance office, 630 Market St. in downtown Steubenville.

JCC names new admissions director

Kristen Tucker Taylor, a resident of Richmond, recently was named the new admissions director at Jefferson Community College.  Previously, she was director of the Upward Bound Program at JCC and had worked as a recruiter/adviser at the college.

Prayer breakfast set for Nov. 20

The annual Faith in the Future Prayer Breakfast will be held on Friday, Nov. 20.  The event, scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m., will be held at The Rose. Additional details will be announced soon.

Toronto museum will open on Oct. 11

Members of Toronto’s historical society are preparing to see their fondest dream come to reality, the grand opening of the Main Street Museum, scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 11 from 2-4 p.m.

The museum, located at 210 Main St., includes hundreds of artifacts on Toronto history since the city was settled under the name of Newberg Landing in the mid-1800s. The museum is located next to the Toronto High School Alumni and Toronto Chamber of Commerce offices.

United Way planning taste of county event

The United Way of Jefferson County will hold its 15^th annual Taste of Jefferson County event on Oct. 22 from 5-8 p.m. in the Steubenville Country Club.  During the evening, Jefferson County area restaurants and caterers will present a unique culinary experience. In addition, a silent auction and a gift raffle will be held.

Tickets are priced at $30 per person and proceeds benefit the 20 agencies of the United Way. Officials note $20 of the ticket purchase is tax deductible.  For more information, contact the United Way at (740) 284-9000.