Business

Philanthropists Terry and Marion Forcht presented Brad Hall, Vice President of External Affairs at the University of the Cumberlands, with a $200,000 check in support of the Terry & Marion Forcht School of Nursing. The Forcht’s provided $1,000,000 in 2018 for the establishment of the school of nursing. The school provides students with a hands-on state-of-the-art simulation lab and is the home of a variety of programs including RN to BSN, Master’s Degree in Nursing-Family Nurse Practitioner, certified Nurse Aid course. Marion Forcht was named a member of the Board of Trustees for the University in 2019.

Unemployment rates increased in Whitley, Knox, Laurel, Bell and McCreary counties between September 2020 and October 2020, according to the Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS), an agency of the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet. Whitley County’s unemployment rate increased from 5.9 percent in September 2020 to 8.2 percent in October 2020. Whitley County’s October 2020 unemployment rate was 3.4 percent higher than the October 2019 unemployment rate. During February 2020, which was the last full month before COVID-19 shutdowns started, Whitley County’s unemployment rate was 5.0 percent. Laurel County’s unemployment rate increased from 5.4 percent in September 2020 to 7.0 percent in October 2020. Laurel County’s October 2020 unemployment rate was...

Saint Joseph London announced its winners of the Employee of the Year and Leader of the Year awards. There were two winners who took home the title of Employee of the Year – Jeremy Asher and Debra Moore. “Saint Joseph London annually recognizes outstanding Employees of the Year who demonstrates the core values of reverence, integrity, compassion and excellence,” according to the Saint Joseph press release. “One of this year’s recipients, Jeremy Asher, began working at Saint Joseph London in 2011 and is described by colleagues as being friendly, polite, and caring toward all patients, co-workers and visitors,” according to the press release. “‘Jeremy has really gone above and beyond,’ said a...

Mchezo Inc., a jigsaw puzzle publisher based in Corbin, KY, is officially announcing its formation and plans to enter the $660 million domestic jigsaw puzzle market starting this year. The company plans to have 20 releases by January 2021. “Jigsaw puzzles have the power to really bring people together,” said Jonathon Huston, owner and founder of Mchezo. “Just set one out on a table and, invariably, people will spontaneously start working on it together. They are a source of joy that we’ve all experienced. My goal with Mchezo is to create high quality puzzles with captivating artwork and, most importantly, that are fun to put together.” Huston, the son of missionaries,...

Grace Health was recently awarded a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the amount of $790,400 through their Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) Grant Program, administered by the Rural Utilities Service (RUS). The purpose of the Grace Health DLT project is two-fold: 1) to increase services, including substance use disorders / opioid use disorders (SUD/OUD), to pregnant women served by Grace Health’s regional Women’s Care center via telehealth to improve health outcomes for newborns and 2) to offer tele-radiology services to patients using portable radiology equipment with an emphasis on serving our high-risk elderly and nursing home patients. Both of these service delivery models will be...

A Corbin-based company, which is utilizing technology to help prevent drug relapses, has been named as one of eight finalists for the Invest 606 Accelerator and Pitch Contest. Community Treatment & Tracking Solutions (CTTS) is described on the Invest 606 website as a technology centered company combining best practices in rehabilitation and compliance. Its unique inexpensive smartphone app has achieved 100 percent employment & sobriety for graduates. Company President Raenae Moore said her motivation for creating CTTS came from losing a stepchild to substance abuse. “Young people interact with their phones. I wanted to find a way to reach young people so no one would have to die. That is what lead...

The Hutton School of Business at University of the Cumberlands has been busy this year. The School recently completed the accreditation process for its doctorate programs, Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) and Doctor of Philosophy in Business (PhD). At the Hutton School of Business, doctoral students can complete their program entirely online or through a hybrid format. Specializations available for the DBA and Ph.D. in Business include accounting, entrepreneurship, healthcare administration, marketing, project management, and strategic management. These programs have received new program accreditation through the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE). The IACBE also granted specialized accreditation of the accounting programs offered by the Hutton School of Business. This...

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) recently announced that 182 Kentucky nursing homes will receive a total of $5,332,001 to protect seniors from the coronavirus. The federal funding, distributed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), was made available by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act through the Provider Relief Fund. Senator McConnell introduced the CARES Act, which became the largest economic rescue package in American history, and led it to enactment in about a week. “We’ve learned a great deal about the coronavirus since the beginning of the year, including its danger to Kentucky’s seniors. I’m proud my CARES Act is delivering...

September 2020 unemployment rates for Whitley, Knox and Laurel counties are still hovering above pre-COVID-19 levels, but have fallen below pre-COVID-19 levels in Bell and McCreary counties, according to a News Journal review of state unemployment rate data. Whitley County’s unemployment rate decreased from 8.5 percent in August 2020 to 5.8 percent in September 2020. Whitley County’s September 2020 unemployment rate was 1.1 percent higher than the September 2019 unemployment rate. During February 2020, which was the last full month before COVID-19 shutdowns started, Whitley County’s unemployment rate was 5.0 percent. Laurel County’s unemployment rate decreased from 7.7 percent in August 2020 to 5.4 percent in September 2020. Laurel County’s September 2020...

Gilbert Tire and Battery Co., located on US Hwy. 25 in Corbin, recently invested in an updated computerized wheel alignment system that has cut down on service time considerably. Whereas their old system required at least an hour to complete the entire process of a wheel alignment, this new system can get the job done in as little as 20-25 minutes. The new system could also potentially eliminate the need for test driving a vehicle in order to detect certain problems, and it has made it possible for technicians to service wheels up to 40 inches. Previously, it had been difficult to perform alignments on wheels bigger than 18 inches. After a...