Bank tops permit list (3/5/05)

Three permits were issued by the Jay County/Portland Building and Planning Department in February for projects with construction costs totaling $518,000.

Bank of Geneva, 1423 N. Meridian St., Portland, was issued a permit for a building addition estimated to cost $238,000. Steve Reitz, 6275 North 550 East, Bryant, received a permit for a home with a basement, garage and barn valued at $180,000.

Pennville Custom Cabinetry, 600 E. Votaw St., Portland, was granted a permit for a building addition, estimated to cost $100,000.

Also issued permits in February by the building and planning department were:

John Edward Corwin, 8373 West Ind. 26, Pennville, lean-to and grain bin, $2,000; Ernest and Janet Muhlenkamp, 8836 East 500 North, Portland, lean-to, $2,700; Steven and Jennifer Schwieterman, 8617 East Ind. 26, Portland, grain bin, $35,000; James M. and Susan A. Hilty, 6614 North 550 West, Bryant, house and barn, $94,115; Bernard Schmitmeyer, 3653 East Division Road, Portland, barn, $18,000; Barber Land Company, 103 Performance Drive, Portland, storage building, $42,000.

Also, Samuel S. and Magdalena Schwartz, corner of county roads 350 East and 900 North, Bryant, home and barn, $40,000; James and Starla Brown, 8554 West 300 South, Dunkirk, home with garage, $60,000; John E. Bailey, 4275 South Boundary Pike, Portland, lean-to, $3,000; Robert King, 144 West 200 North, Portland, additions to office, $3,000; Robert and Linda Corn, 5930 South 450 West, Portland, garage, $10,000.

An occupancy permit also was issued to Tom and Doris Zimmerman, 127 W. Main St., Portland. Leoris Williamson, 106 E. North St., Portland, filed for a special exception in February, and Daniel G. and Anita Orr, 4023 South 800 West, Redkey, filed for a variance.

NEW REQUIREMENT

Because of the approval of the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2004, all employers must post a notice informing employees of their rights, benefits and obligations under the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act (USERRA).

The notice must be placed where notices are usually displayed for employees. The posting must include the following:

•Employee polygraph protection notification

•Federal minimum wage notification

•OSHA notification regarding job safety

•Family and Medical Leave Act

•EEO is the law

•USERRA

•Indiana minimum wage and hour laws

•IOSHA notification

•Indiana Worker’s Compensation notice

•Indiana teen work hours

•Indiana unemployment insurance benefits

PARENTING SEMINAR

Bluffton Regional Medical Center is offering a seminar on parenting Tuesday, March 15, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Bluffton High School cafetorium.

The session will teach parents how to avoid daily conflicts and have fun. The speaker is author Char Wenc.

Dessert will be served at 6 p.m. to everyone attending the event.

To register, call Bluffton Regional’s reservation line at (260) 824-2001 or (888) 919-3557, ext. 7006.

MEETING

The East Central Indiana Workforce Investment Board will meet Friday, March 18, from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at Ivy Tech State College room 532, 4301 South Cowan Road, Muncie.

Inform Stephanie Goodman of attendance plans by 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 15, by calling (800) 483-2742 or (765) 741-5863, ext. 100.

EECIHRA MEETING

The East Central Indiana Human Resources Association will meet Wednesday, March 9, at the Delaware Country Club, South Country Club Road, Muncie.

Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. and lunch will be served at noon. The meeting will start at 12:30 p.m.

Guest speaker Dr. Jeff Hornsby will discuss, “Leadership in a Demanding World.” Sandy L. Boost will present, “What’s New at SHRM (the Society for Human Resource Management).” Two SHRM certification scholarships will be given to ECIHRA members at the meeting.

The cost of the meeting for guests is $13. Reservations can be made until noon on Monday, March 7, by e-mailing [email protected].

EARNINGS REVISED

CVS Corp. has revised its fourth-quarter and full-year results to reflect an accounting change.

The Woonsocket, R.I., company said the change cut its fourth-quarter earnings to 61 cents a share from 70 cents. For all of 2004, the company earned $2.20 a share, rather than $2.30 a share it said earlier, The Wall Street Journal reported this week.

In other CVS news, the company has raised its forecasts for first quarter and full-year earnings. The drugstore chain announced this week it has raised its estimated first quarter earnings to a range of 66 cents to 69 cents. CVS had previously projected an earnings range of 59 cents to 61 cents per share.

For the full year, the company expects earnings of $2.66 to $2.72 per share. Earlier, the company estimated earnings would be $2.62 to $2.68 per share. The company had strong sales in February, The Journal reported this week.

ATTENDED

A Berne optometrist recently attended a meeting about treatment for macular degeneration.

Dr. Steven DeGroff of Family Eye Care in Berne was at a meeting of the Northeast Indiana Optometric Society when retinal specialist Dr. Matthew Farber of Fort Wayne spoke about the new treatment.

JOB FAIR

U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar will host the Third Annual Dick Lugar Job Fair for Security, Defense, Nursing and First Responders April 22-23 in Indianapolis.  This two-day event will feature dozens of federal, state and local police departments and intelligence and security agencies, as well as nursing schools and hospitals looking to fill available positions.

For more information, visit http://lugar.senate.gov/jobfair.html or phone (317) 226-5555.[[In-content Ad]]