T-Ross Brothers Construction, Inc. has been the leader in the construction industry for the past 60 years. At T-Ross Brothers Construction, Inc. Its team is committed to reaching beyond construction; their passion brings dreams to life with quality craftsmanship! They build relationships built on honesty and integrity, they understand their clients and what they are trying to accomplish and promote innovative solutions that exceed the needs and requirements of the clients.
T-Ross Brothers Construction, Inc. has been providing innovative general contractor services, commercial construction, industrial construction, steel building, religious facilities, and crane services.
Today, T-Ross Brothers Construction, Inc. is owned by brothers, Todd G. and Tom E. Ross. In 1996, the brothers purchased the 38-year-old business from their father, Thomas H. Ross, after working their way up through the construction business. The brothers began with sweeping floors and sorting nails from the time they were old enough to hold a broom.
From childhood, they were taught by their father the proper use and installation of materials. Having worked through each phase of the construction business, the Ross Brothers have the knowledge and expertise to propose the most suitable solutions to any construction challenge.
Visit T-Ross Brothers Construction’s website at www.trossbrothers.com for more information.
T- ross joins 415 members of The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce to receive benefits and support the Chamber’s efforts to enhance the region.
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B.I.D.A. Reforms Scholarship Program for Underemployed and Unemployed
Berwick Industrial Development Association (B.I.D.A.), a leader in economic development focusing on industrial development and manufacturing, is excited to pilot a program that will provide property owners in Columbia and Southern Luzerne Counties an opportunity to learn of economic development initiatives.
B.I.D.A. launched a scholarship program for high school graduates from the Berwick Area School District (which included students attending Columbia-Montour Vocational Technical School) that were to attend post-secondary or higher education institutions to pursue their education in the vocational trades.
Although the program has been successful with students applying for and being awarded to two students each year, B.I.D.A. has re-examined the present state of the workforce in our area, and with having a shortage of skilled labor in the region, the board of directors has voted to offer the scholarship to unemployed and underemployed individuals in the Berwick Area School District geographic area.
This shift would allow residents to apply for the $1,000 that could essentially pay for an entire program at the Columbia Montour Vocational Technical School’s adult education. There is an application process, and it will still run annually as it does for the high school applicant. In the Spring, residents can request a scholarship application that also provides instruction on what needs to be included.
Amy Shortlidge, Marketing Director for B.I.D.A. stated, “This is an opportunity for people to acquire employment quicker, with courses and training programs that can take six to twelve weeks to complete, as opposed to waiting for students to graduate from a two or four-year degree program.”
Bloomsburg Children’s Museum Announces November Programs
Located on 2 W. 7th Street, the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum officially announced it’s full slate schedule for its programs. The jam-packed month includes unique classes, clubs, music and infant/toddler programs. you can view all of the programs HERE.
Community Giving Foundation is administering the Innovation Grant in partnership with the Columbia County Commissioners. This grant will provide funding to a qualified nonprofit or government entity for the implementation of an emerging idea and initiative that can substantially impact or provide measurable progress toward the betterment of our community. The Innovation Grant is a vehicle to enable continued growth and strengthening of Columbia County.
The Columbia County Commissioners ARP Nonprofit Innovation Grant will provide one grant of up to $100,000 to one organization. Interested applicants can review the guidelines and submit a Letter of Interest (LOI) online until November 15, 2021, by 11:45 p.m. The LOI is limited to a two-page document introducing your organization, project description, service area, and requested budget summary.
If the LOI is approved, an application will be made available. Those invited to submit a full application will be notified on December 1, 2021. Completed applications with supporting documents will be due by December 30, 2021, at 11:45 p.m. Full application submissions will also require an in-person presentation with the grant committee on January 11 or 12, 2022. Final grant decisions will be announced January 21, 2022.
Only 501(c)(3) nonprofit and government organizations are eligible to apply, and the requested funding must be invested within Columbia County. Individuals are not eligible to apply. To discuss your organization’s eligibility, please contact the Foundation.
Grant applications must be completed and submitted through a web-based program. Interested applicants can access the guidelines and application by visiting csgiving.org/grants.
Letters of Interest must be submitted online by 11:45 pm on November 15, 2021.
Just the thought of an approaching open enrollment period can cause stress for employers and their workers. But with proper planning and a well-developed strategy, open enrollments can be organized, effective and a positive experience for all involved.
Development of a detailed timeline well in advance of the start of open enrollment season is a great first step. The employer and their benefit consultant can analyze the company’s specific objectives, style and demographics to develop a customized approach. Included in this stage should be the scheduling of webinars, benefit fairs, seminars and opportunities, as applicable. Likewise, the framework of an employee communication campaign can be developed, leaving specific details (like plan data, contribution schedules, etc.) to be inserted at a later time.
As soon as renewals are made available by the carrier(s), plans and contribution schedules can be selected by the employer and a communication piece should be distributed to all employees outlining the planned process, any critical information and any important dates and deadlines.
Benefit plan and contribution information should be presented to employees in a manner that encourages employees to become engaged in the process. The communication material should present the range of benefit details in a simple, understandable and even exciting, if possible, manner…customized as much as possible to the profile of employees in each organization.
Technology should be used whenever possible. Utilization of emails, webinars and online open enrollment tools all enhance the experience for today’s technology-oriented workforce and help to streamline the entire process.
Once open enrollment ends and everything settles down, the process can be reviewed and employee feedback solicited in order to better understand the components that worked well and those that didn’t. In this way, the experience can be further perfected for the following year’s open enrollment season.
The Columbia-Montour Chamber of Commerce offers its members access to My Benefit Advisor as a solution for employee benefits, including voluntary offerings. For more information about My Benefit Advisor, visit our website at cmcc.mybenefitadvisor.com or contact Glynis Roberts at (800) 377-3539.
With the challenges of hiring and retaining quality employees, employers have been increasingly benchmarking their wage rates to ensure they are competitive. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry provides labor market information by county and wage rate information by Metropolitan Statistical Area. Links to those resources are available on the Facts & Figures page of the Chamber’s website.
The wage rate information provided by L&I is from 2020. Advance Central PA, the regional workforce board, accesses a database that pulls from a variety of sources, including current job postings. The contact for that most up-to-date information is William Berry, Research Analyst, at 570-568-6868 or wberry@advancecentralpa.org.
Adapted from the PA Chamber of Business & Industry
Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry Secretary Jennifer Berrier provided updates regarding the agency’s challenges in paying out unemployment compensation benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic; their efforts to fight fraudulent UC claims that have skyrocketed since the pandemic began; new technology infrastructure and more at a hearing last week with the House Labor and Industry Committee.
The massive number of pandemic-related jobless claims last year overwhelmed the UC system and led to a backlog of thousands of Pennsylvanians waiting months for payments and unable to reach anyone from the department for assistance. The department reported that long-awaited updates to the system were completed this year which brought the backlog from around 320,000 to 91,826 pending determinations; and more than 525,000 people receiving more than $3 billion in benefits since June.
As the department tackled pandemic-related backlogs, a related challenge began to emerge and wreak havoc on the UC system – a significant uptick in UC fraud. L&I has struggled to root out fraudulent claims, and although the UC system upgrades have been generally lauded, it is suspected the transition likely opened a window of opportunity for fraudsters. In September, L&I representatives told a group of chambers that the ID.me verification system had reduced fraudulent claims dramatically. However, members of The Columbia Montour Chamber are still reporting fraudulent claims, including from employees that have never received benefits. The Chamber has provided that feedback to L&I but has not received a response.
L&I representatives were questioned if they believe a former employee should be eligible for UC if they quit because of a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. “It’s very much on a case-by-case basis,” Deputy Secretary for Unemployment Compensation Susan Dickinson said. “If we determine that the person quit, then the burden of proof is on that person to show that they had a good reason to quit. If the case is discharge, then the burden of proof is on the employer to show that the discharge was necessary,” Dickinson added.
From the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
In September, President Biden issued executive orders (EOs)—a summary of which can be found here regarding new policies to combat the COVID virus.
On Tuesday, October 12th, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sent the Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) to the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), which will require employers with at least 100 employees to ensure their employees are vaccinated or that they submit a negative COVID test on a weekly basis.
The specifics of the ETS or how long it’s expected to remain at OIRA have not been released, but it could take effect within a week.
The ETS will take effect once published in the Federal Register—at which point it will also be open for comments. Under the OSH Act, the ETS will remain in place for six months. After the six months, OSHA can either replace it with a permanent standard that reflects the comments or discontinue the standard altogether. At this time, we expect that the ETS will require employers to provide some paid time off for employees to get vaccinated or to recover from getting vaccinated—though the specificities are unknown.
As more information becomes available on the ETS, this post will be updated.
Candidates for Bloomsburg Town Council discussed a variety of issues including the downtown, infrastructure, and taxes during a candidate forum held Tuesday, October 12th. Incumbents Bonnie Crawford and James Garman along with challengers Eric Bower, Nicholas McGaw, and Janine Penman participated in the forum. The event was co-hosted by Downtown Bloomsburg Inc. and Bloomsburg University’s American Democracy Project at Bloomsburg University’s McCormick Center.
Among the questions asked of the candidates was if they support a pledge developed by The Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Bloomsburg Inc. To date, candidates Bonnie Crawford and James Garman have signed the pledge. Mayor Bill Kreisher also signed the pledge earlier this year.
A recording of the forum is available on the Chamber’s YouTube channel, which can be viewed HERE.
Community Giving Foundation Fund to Support Berwick Life Skills Students
The Community Giving Foundation: Berwick is pleased to announce the creation of a new designated fund in memory of Lisa Canouse, a dedicated wife and mother who impacted the lives of many children in the Berwick Area School District through her passion and big heart.
The Fund will provide charitable grants to the Berwick Area School District to support life skills students, K-12, who demonstrate financial need for necessities that help them thrive as individuals.
Lisa fell in love with the Berwick community after marrying her husband, Barry, and always considered the area home. When her three children were grown, she began to work in the Berwick Area School District, where she continued to show a motherly love by supporting the children at the school.
Miller – Keystone Blood Center Asking for Critical Supply Help
Two weeks ago, an emergency statement was issued by America’s Blood Centers (ABC) regarding the status of the nation’s blood supply:
“The blood supply in the United States is dangerously low – an uncommon occurrence for this time of year. It is safe to donate blood and all eligible individuals – including those who have received a COVID19 vaccine – are encouraged to make an appointment to donate blood or platelets now to ensure that blood products will be available for all patients when needed. Blood centers across the country are currently reporting low blood supplies. Some blood collection organizations are experiencing an abnormal decline in donor turnout; others are experiencing blood drive cancellations at schools and businesses limiting the number of individuals allowed onsite as a precautionary pandemic practice. These collection challenges have disrupted the nation’s blood supply, resulting in dangerously low inventories of life-saving blood products across the country for patients in need.”
As your community blood center, Miller-Keystone Blood Center is also challenged with meeting the needs of our local hospitals and the patients they serve. We currently have between one and two days of inventory that can be quickly decimated with one major local trauma event. We expect this emergency situation to continue through the end of 2021 unless we can get assistance from the community and respond to this appeal for blood donations. Miller-Keystone Blood Center needs individuals to donate blood at our regional donation centers. As a leader of a local organization, we urge you to help our team by getting the message out and helping us help our hospitals by doing the following:
- Encourage your employees, staff, members, and students to call 1-800-223-6667 or visit giveapint.org to schedule a donation at one of our 17 regional blood centers and community satellite locations that are close to where they live or work.
- Or, contact us to discuss how your organization can arrange a special event, Adopt-A-Day blood Drive, at one of our locations. Please contact Krista Hill at (610)-691-5850 extension 1254 for more information.
Miller-Keystone is committed to maintaining the stability of the region’s blood supply, while ensuring the safety of our donors and staff. We continue to adapt our safety protocols to align with local, state, and federal guidance to ensure the safest possible experience for donors, staff and blood drive hosts.
Boroughs’ List Trick-or-Treating Nights & Times
The kids are counting down the days to one of their favorite night(s) of the year, Trick-or-Treating. The excitement of kids dressing up in a unique costume and getting candy is an all-time favorite memory for kids of all ages. The following nights and times are set up for Trick-or-Treating in the area.
Berwick Borough – October 29 & October 30 | 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Bloomsburg Borough – October 30 | 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Danville Borough – October 30 | 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
These webinars will provide general information and answer your questions about health insurance as 2021 open enrollment is right around the corner for most employers. This is the perfect opportunity to explore plan options and learn more about the latest laws, carrier news, and how the MBA program can benefit you. Register for one of our upcoming sessions.
- Tuesday, October 26 at 1:00 p.m. | Register Now
- Monday, November 1 at 12:00 p.m. | Register Now
- Friday, November 5 at 9:30 a.m. | Register Now
AGENDA
- Overview of Insurance Marketplace
- Projected Renewal Increases
- Carrier Updates
- Cost Saving Strategies
- Employer Resources
My Benefit Advisor (MBA) is an employee benefits platform designed to guide employers through the complexity of planning, communicating and managing a successful employee benefits program.