Trending
WELLSBURG -- Area entrepreneurs and businesses and lining up to make their pitch.
Larry Swanson, with the Brooke County Economic Development Authority, updated county commissioners Tuesday on the fourth-annual Brooke-Hancock Entrepreneur Business Pitch Contest.
The contest, which will be held at Brooke High School from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Aug. 9 will allow members of the local business community to compete for prize money in order to make their ideas a reality. It is co-sponsored by the county EDA and the Wellsburg Chamber of Commerce and is open to any business in Brooke or Hancock counties.
"It is for start-up or existing businesses both," Swanson said.
He said each competitor will be given five to 10 minutes to pitch their ideas to a team of judges. The winning ideas will receive a cash prize. The amount of the prize has yet to be announced, but last year's winner received $6,000.
Swanson said they currently have seven competitors ready to take the stage and welcome more. Applications can be picked up at any Brooke or Hancock county library, as well as the Weirton, Follansbee and Wellsburg chambers of commerce. Applications are due by Friday.
"It's really a great program," Swanson said. "(It's great) to hear from some of the young entrepreneurs in the area."
Brooke County Sheriff Larry C. Palmer showed the commissioners one of the 21 new body cameras the department recently acquired. The small lens of the camera sits in the middle of a deputy's chest and an operating unit and DVR approximately the size of a deck of cards will be located in the deputy's front shirt pocket.
Palmer said there are enough cameras that every officer and new officer will have one.
Currently he said they are looking at the computer server to see how long is feasible to hold the recordings. Palmer said typically the standard is to hold any critical recordings for two years and any non incidents or every day activities for 90 days.
Palmer also said he recently reviewed the local ordinance for dilapidated or abandoned buildings. The county ordinance allows for a committee to follow-up and act on these issues. He feels it is time to reconvene the committee.
The commissioners read a letter they received from Governor Jim Justice in regards to the Veteran's Transportation Program in the state.
Per the letter "after careful review" the West Virginia Disabled American Veterans program has decided to return to an all volunteer program. The program will be purchasing 13 new vans to transport the veterans and within the next two years plan to replace all the current vans.
The American Legion Post 45 sent a letter to the commissioners offering to help with the transportation and offering to set up a bank account in order to gather donations for the program.
In other business, commissioners approved:
¯ A request from Palmer to hire Donald E. Clem as a courthouse security officer, replacing Tom Puskarich who recently resigned.
¯ A letter of resignation was accepted from dispatcher Emily Drake and the commissioners approved the hiring of a full-time replacement.
¯ A letter of resignation from Tia Graham.
¯ Hiring Jonathan Tober, Kenneth Alex Shuman and Jonathan Griffin as deputy sheriffs as part of the prevention resource officer agreement with the Brooke County Board of Education. Tober is effective July 16 and both Shuman and Griffin will start effective Aug. 1.
¯ To hire Kayla Seidler as a part-time county EMS effective immediately.
The next unclaimed property search at the court house will be held Aug. 6. The state Treasury Department hopes to have one once a month, commissioners said.
(Neeley can be contacted at aneeley@heraldstaronline.com)