Somers

GROVE CITY — Shelly Somers, a nurse practitioner, has been hired by the Wolf Creek Medical Associates.

Somers is a certified family nurse practitioner and has provided primary care for patients at the Grove City Medical Center's Clintonville Health Center since 2003.

Somers also has worked with women through the Family Planning Services of Mercer County.

CRANBERRY TWP — Westinghouse Electric has appointed Ken Okuda vice president and coordination officer for Westinghouse Nuclear Services, replacing senior vice president Takeshi Tanazawa.Okuda's role is to work with both Westinghouse Nuclear Services and Toshiba while helping to expand business.He has served as senior specialist for Nuclear Energy Equipment Manufacturing in the Keihin Product Operation of the Toshiba Power Systems.Okuda has both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan.He will work at Westinghouse headquarters in Cranberry Township.

NEW YORK — Six months after J.C. Penney launched a new pricing plan, customers still aren't buying it.The mid-price department store chain reported a bigger-than-expected loss and plummeting sales during the second quarter, as its customers remain confused by the new pricing strategy that ditched hundreds of sales in favor of every day lower prices. The plan was introduced Feb. 1.It also withdrew its profit guidance for the year. Its shares tumbled more than 6 percent.Penney's results, released Friday, underscore how difficult it is for a company to change the way consumers behave. It also tests the patience of investors and adds more pressure on its new CEO and former Apple executive Ron Johnson to turn things around at the retailer.“'We have now completed the first six months of our transformation, and while business continues to be softer than anticipated, we are confident the transformation is on track,” said Johnson in a statement. “The transition from a highly promotional business model to one based on everyday value will take time and we will stay the course.”

• Ryan Warheit has been hired as an analyst and portfolio manager for Gierl Augustine Investment Management in Buffalo Township.• Armstrong is the winner of the Independent Customer Service Award by Cable Fax Magazine, designating the Butler company as the telecom industry’s top customer service provider for 2012.• Virginia “Ginger” Wickline, assistant professor of psychology at Miami (Ohio) University, has received the 2012 Wayne Weiten Teaching Excellence Award given by the Society for the Teaching of Psychology. She is the daughter of Russ Cawthorne and granddaughter of Harold McBride of Butler.