IN BRIEF
BUTLER TWP — Occupational therapists Debbie Gauvain and Linda Miller recently were hired by Visiting Nurses of Western Pennsylvania to manage the Low Vision Works program that specializes in visual retaining.
The two went to Sarasota, Fla., in August for the specialized training in low vision rehabilitation. They are working on their national certification in the program.
Gauvain has been an occupation therapist for more than 20 years working in home health, hospital, long term and psychiatric rehabilitation settings. This is the first time she has focused on low vision therapy exclusively.
Miller also has been an occupational therapist for more than 20 years.
Visual retaining teaches the patient to use the parts of the eye that have not been damaged by macular degeneration to increase visual acuity, reading speed and accuracy, and overall independence.
PITTSBURGH — West Penn Multi-List, which reports on home sales in southwestern Pennsylvania, found housing sales were up in October compared to a year ago.Butler County had a 12.57 percent increase in home sales compared with October 2010. That's 206 homes sold in October 2011 up from 183 sold in 2010.Allegheny, Beaver and Washington counties also report a double-digit increase in home sales this October as compared to October 2010.Ron Croushore, president of West Penn Multi-List and president owner of Prudential Preferred Realty, said people are taking advantage of the low interest rates in buying more houses.
FALLS CHURCH, Va. — US Investigations Services, USIS, the largest commercial provider of background investigation services for the federal government, has been awarded a multiyear contract by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management for background investigative fieldwork services for government agencies.The estimated total value of the contract is about $2.45 billion over five years.Under terms of the contract, which is effective Dec. 1, USIS will continue doing background investigations for the federal government in all 50 states and U.S. territories.USIS, which has offices in Boyers and Grove City, is an Altegrity company.
Westinghouse Electric Co. has signed a multimillion-dollar contract to design the low and intermediate level waste repository at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant site in Bulgaria.The contract was signed by a consortium comprised of Spanish waste management company ENRESA, Westinghouse Electric Spain and DBE Technology.The customer for the work is SERAW, the Bulgarian State Enterprise with responsibility for the country's radioactive waste.
PROSPECT — The Butler County Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual holiday party Dec. 2 at The Atrium on Route 422.“Celebration of the Season” will be from 5 to 8 p.m., and reservations are required.Call 724-283-2222, send e-mail to Jennifer@ButlerCountyChamber.com, or send $10 per person by mail to Butler County Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 1082, Butler, PA 16003.
SLATE LICK, Armstrong County — One Northpointe business has received an award from the Pentagon, and a new business has announced its moving into the multiuse business park.NorthTech Partners of Freeport, working with Quantum Ventures of Michigan, is locating a new business, ClearTech Ventures, in Northpointe.ClearTech Ventures will work to commercialize visual technologies that have been developed for military uses.Also, the Penn State University Electro-Optics Center at Northpointe is the recipient of the 2010 Joint Service Value Engineering Achievement Award from the Pentagon.The award was given for the center's Automated Intensifier Measurement System, which is part of the process to make night-vision devices.
