Taste winners announced

The Koffee Kup Diner took the Best of Taste title for its assorted pies at the second annual Taste of Jay County on Sunday.
Voters selected the Koffee Kup’s assorted pies and cakes as Best of Taste and Best Dessert. Other winners include: Best Appetizer, Romer’s Catering, Razz-ma-tazz crackers; Best Salad, Second Chance Bar and Grill, chicken salad; Best Soup, Richard’s Family Restaurant, potato soup; Best Sandwich, Christa’s Bakery and Café, chicken almond cranberry salad croissant; Best Side Dish, Payless Pizza, cole slaw; Best Entrée, Pizza King of Portland, assorted pizza; Best Beverage, Coca-Cola of Portland, Coke products.

Division packaged
Saint-Gobain is planning an initial public offering of its packaging division as the company looks to move toward a focus on core operations.
The packaging division has been earmarked for divestment since 2007 and may now be put up for public sale. The packaging industries, which includes Dunkirk’s bottling operation, performed strong for the French-owned company during the worldwide economic slump.
The sale of the packaging sector, recently rebranded as Verallia, could happen as soon as the second quarter of 2011. Analysts predict that Verallia could sell for as much as 4 billion euros ($5.6 billion).

Featured
AeroCat bicycles were recently featured in photos in the October issue of Bicycling Magazine.
AeroCat’s cycles were captured in four different photos throughout the magazine. The performance bicycles are produced in Portland.

Omnicity sued
Rural wireless Internet provider Omnicity is facing lawsuits alleging that the company failed to make payments after agreeing to purchase other companies.
Omnicity is facing lawsuits from LightSpeed Wireless, NDWave LLC. and North Central Communications, for failing to meet the requirements of the purchase agreements signed with the companies.
The company had also done business in Jay County but failed to meet initial Economic Development Income Tax loan payback requirements. That loan with the county was renegotiated and is on a long-term payback plan.

ServSafe
The John Jay Center for Learning is offering a ServSafe training course for restaurant workers Wednesday.
The course is designed by the National Restaurant Association and meets the Indiana Department of Health Food Handler Certification requirements. It will focus on preventing food-borne illness.
The class will take place 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday. Cost if $140. A test-only option is also available and cost for the test is $50.
Anyone with questions can call Josh Gibson at (260) 729-5525.

Networking luncheon
Portland Rockets coach Randy Miller will present “Getting on the Rocket Train” at the next Jay County Chamber of Commerce networking luncheon Tuesday.
The luncheon will begin at noon at Jay County Hospital. Cost is $8. E-mail [email protected] for reservations.

Fort variety
A new shop in Fort Recovery has opened offering vehicle repair, movie rental and gift shop.
Fort Flix and Locker’s Gifts in Fort Recovery, 111 W. Butler St., is owned by Ted and Alison Homan. The owners have taken over where Family Showcase Video left off and will also feature items from Locker’s Gifts in Portland.
Ted Homan, who has 20 years of experience as a mechanic, will also do vehicle repairs on site.

Ag business expo
The Darke County Chamber Agriculture and Business and Community Development Committees are hosting the First Regional Ag and Business Expo Nov. 5 and 6.
The expo will feature information about agriculture and business including new technology and innovation. Local businesses and customers will present at the expo.
Admission is free and the expo will take place 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 5 and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Darke County Fairgrounds.

Manure use
A representative from NuVention, a company planning to turn hog manure into products that are typically petroleum-based, recently presented to about 50 people at a meeting in Mercer County.
The company presented a plan to turn manure into an asphalt-like material by breaking down the manure into solids then heating them into an asphalt-like substance called bio oil.
The company would supply the reactor, which could handle manure for 5,000 to 10,000 hogs and would pay the farmer about $9 per pig per year for the manure.
Mercer County Ohio State University Extension educator Jim Hoorman said a future meeting would be held to discuss the project further.

Assistance programs
CenturyLink is offering assistance programs called Link-Up and Lifeline to help qualifying customers pay the initial cost of starting phone service.
Qualifications vary by state but those who participate in other government programs likely qualify. To find out more, visit www.lifeline.gov or call Century Link at (800) 366-8201 for more information.

ATI outlook
Allegheny Technologies Incorporated provided an updated third quarter outlook featuring a net income per share of 1 cent per share.
The company is expected an income of 26 cents per share but is facing charges from a pretax “catch up” and Small Business Jobs and Credit Act write off that will reduce net income.

Workforce meeting
The Eastern Indiana Regional Workforce Board will hold a lunch meting Wednesday.
The meeting will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wayne County WorkOne office, 3771 S. “A” Street, Richmond. Contact Stephanie Goodman to RSVP by phone at (765) 282-6400 or (800) 483-2742 Ext. 114.

CVS fined
CVS Pharmacy Inc. was fined $75 million for allowing repeat purchases of a key ingredient in the making of methamphetamine in at least five states.
The pharmacy chain will also forfeit $2.6 million in profits earned from selling pseudoephedrine, an ingredient used in the meth-making process.
CVS said it has adjusted its policies to make sure repeat sales will not happen again in the future.

New adviser
Debbie Howell has been named the new Student Services Adviser for the John Jay Center for Learning.
Howell will replace former adviser Nancy Moser, who recently resigned from the position. Howell has served as director of the Pregnancy Care Center in Portland, has introduced life-choice programs to the middle schools and high school, involved in peer-counseling programs at Westchester United Methodist Church and worked part time at Curves in Portland.
She is a graduate of Jay County High School and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Indiana Wesleyan University through the JJCL.
Howell will assist students pursing degrees through Ivy Tech Community College and Indiana Wesleyan through JJCL. She can be contacted at the center at 729-5525 Ext. 223.[[In-content Ad]]