IN BRIEF
VNA names woman hospice director
BUTLER TWP — Lutheran SeniorLife VNA, Western Pennsylvania has named Linda Strachan as its new director of hospice and palliative care. She has been interim director since September.
As director, she will oversee the operations of at-home hospice, inpatient hospice, palliative care, bereavement and community outreach.
Strachan came to the VNA as a social worker in home health and then hospice. She became the manager of hospice until her current role. Before VNA, she provided social work services at the Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and the Chicora Medical Center.
She received her undergraduate degree in psychology and sociology from Clarion University of Pennsylvania and her master of social work from The University of Pittsburgh.
She teaches social work at Butler County Community College and is a member of the National Association of Social Workers.
She lives in Butler with her husband and has two grown daughters.
Rep. Kelly named to export panel
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-3rd, of Butler has been appointed to the President’s Export Council by House Speaker John Boehner.
The council is the principal national advisory committee on international trade. It advises the president of government policies and programs that affect U.S. trade performance and promotes export expansion.
Kelly also is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee.
Cheaper gas lowers U.S. retail sales
WASHINGTON — U.S. retail sales fell sharply last month as gas prices plummeted and auto sales slowed. But excluding those volatile categories, Americans stepped up their spending a bit.
Retail sales dropped 0.8 percent in January, the Commerce Department said Thursday, following a 0.9 percent decline in December. The dollar value of gas station sales plunged 9.3 percent, the largest drop in six years. Auto dealer sales also fell for the second straight month after big gains in the fall.
Outside those categories, sales ticked up 0.2 percent after a flat reading in December.
