Chesy resident accepts new role at St. Mary’s

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Patty Phillips, RN, has accepted the position of medical peer review coordinator at St. Mary’s Medical Center. Phillips oversees the Quality Performance Monitoring Committee, which evaluates and monitors the quality of care provided to patients and the clinical performance of staff and physicians. The committee works to improve patient satisfaction by reviewing quality-of-care concerns through a peer review process. Phillips also assists in the credentialing process for new physicians and staff.

Phillips has worked at St. Mary’s for 13 years and earned her nursing degree from St. Mary’s School of Nursing.

Her previous experience includes terms as DRG (diagnosis-related group) coordinator and supervisor of coding, emergency department billing and clinical documentation.

Phillips has two grown children and resides in Chesapeake with her husband, Mike.

Photographers earn prestigious degrees

WHEELERSBURG — Photographers from Jon’s Photo in Wheelersburg recently attended the Professional Photographers of America “Imaging USA” International Convention and Trade Show in Nashville, Tenn.

Jon, Linda and Joe Johnson were at the convention from Jan. 9-13 earlier this year.

While there, Joe and Linda both received their PPA Craftsman Degrees, bringing Jon’s Photo to a total of three photographers with this degree, and two that are PPA Master Photographers. All three are Ohio Certified Professional Photographers, with Jon also being nationally certified.

Jon and Linda are on the National Council and attended council meetings while there. As an International PPA Approved Juror, Jon also worked in a mentorship booth to help critique images for fellow members.

Jon and Linda had images in the International Print Exhibit, with Jon having an image in the ASP Loan Exhibit.

Free vascular screenings set for Gallipolis

ASHLAND, Ky. — One in five Americans over age 65 suffer from peripheral artery disease (PAD), but only about 20 percent get the recommended treatment, according to the American Heart Association. PAD is a serious condition that, left untreated, could lead to amputation or death.

King’s Daughters Medical Center, in cooperation with the Kentucky Heart Foundation, is offering a free screening. The screening will begin at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 12, on the KDMC Mobile Health Unit at Ohio Valley Physicians, 420 Silver Bridge Plaza, Gallipolis.

Internal medicine specialist Anthony Armineous, M.D., Ohio Valley Physicians, will review results with participants immediately following the screening. Appointments are required and may be made by calling 1.866.HEART.KY (432-7859).

Former Irontonian publishes book

Former Ironton resident Carol Bryan Cook has a new book being released in September 2010.

Titled “Endangered Secrets, Whispers, Lies, and Love Poems,” it is published by Publish America of Frederick, Md. The book will be available through Barnes & Noble bookstores and through Publish America at www.publishamerica.net in the poetry section, listed alphabetically.

Cook is a former Ironton resident with family in the Ironton area, all lifetime residents in Lawrence and Scioto Counties. She attended Ironton and Green Township schools, graduating from Glenwood High School in New Boston.

Skipping through several colleges in California, North Carolina, Texas, and England, she continued to write and publish her work over the course of 30 years. After years of writing and traveling she has but one regret, “never getting that ever elusive degree.” But that didn’t seem to slow her down because she chalks up “Endangered Secrets” as her best of four published books and hundreds of published short stories.

Her work has been reviewed as passionate, captivating, ethereal, sometimes sad and funny all at once. In “Endangered Secrets” she writes of people and places met along the way during her travels. Her vision of characters, landscapes, and life comes as a delightful surprise as lyrical words flow from each page. Each poem a souvenir in verse that touches on the honesty of life and secrets people keep, or tell.

Ironton native makes Cedarville dean’s list

Kaylyn Haas, daughter of Mark and Deanna Haas of Ironton, was named to the dean’s honors list at Cedarville University for the 2010 spring semester.

She is a senior majoring in middle childhood education. Cedarville University is an accredited Baptist University with approximately 3,000 students.

To be named to the dean’s honors list, a student must earn a grade point average of 3.75, carry at least 12 semester hours and have no grade lower than a “B” for that’s semester.

Symmes Valley grad earns master’s in music

Robert Ross II graduated May 20 with a master of music in Jazz studies from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Penn.

Ross is a graduate of Symmes Valley High School in Willow Wood. He received his bachelor’s degree from Morehead State University in Morehead, Ky.

He is the son of Robert and Teresa Ross of Patriot. He is the grandson of Freda Ross of Patriot and the late Freddie Ross and the late Donna and Henry Sheline.

Ross is pursuing a career in teaching and performing.

Child Welfare Club presents Freshie Awards to area students

With a focus on education, the Child Welfare Club presented Freshie Awards at Ironton High School and St. Joseph High School this year.

To qualify for the award, the students must have a 90 percent or better average in all academic subjects and/or 85 percent or better in all weighted academic classes at the end of the next to last grading period.

These students met the requirements at St. Joseph High School: Tanner Carte, Grant Geswein, Haley Glockner, Glennie Hopkins, Austin Leach, Eli Lewis, Hannah Martin, Ashley Priode, Mallory Rist, Nick Roach, Elizabeth Sutter, Maria Walters and Cecili Weber.

These students met the requirements at Ironton High School: Brandon Barker, Tanner Dutey, Kelli Ferguson, Korey Kellogg, Andrea Kratzenberg, Sean Lawless, Karlee McMackin, Jordan McMaster, Alicia Murphy, Rebekkah Potter, Alexis Riggle, Molly Sergent, Kylie Thomas and Zachary Waddle.

Each student received a Freshie trophy.

Highlands hosts annual Kentucky Art Show

ASHLAND, Ky. — The Highlands Museum & Discovery Center is host to the annual Kentucky Creative Arts Club Art Show.

The exhibit will run through Friday, Aug. 27. The Kentucky Creative Arts Club was established in 1959 by five local artists; Orin Nelson, Delbert Kitchen, Fred Rigsby, Bill Tacket and Dick Wellman. These artists came together to organize what is now perhaps the oldest organization devoted to the fine arts in Kentucky.

The purpose of the Kentucky Creative Arts Club is to provide an opportunity for local artists to meet and learn from each other through constructive criticism and educational programs. The arts club was instrumental in the formation of the Cardinal Valley Art Exhibit. Members of the club participate in all local and regional art shows.

The show includes work by Tri-State artists.

From water colors to collage and oils, as well as sculptures, this display has always been a public favorite.

The Highlands Museum & Discovery Center is located at 1620 Winchester Ave., Ashland, Ky.. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. Admission is $5.50 for adults; $4.50 for seniors, students and children. Members and children under 2 are free.

Area orchestra needs volunteers

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — The Huntington Symphony Orchestra is a non-profit organization, with professional union paid musicians.

To assist and keep with our goal of providing to the Tri-State area an opportunity to enjoy, experience and explore the excitement of live symphonic music we recruit volunteers.

Anyone who would like to be part of our family, please contact the organization at:

Huntington Symphony Orchestra, 763 Third Ave., Huntington, WV 25701; or by phone at (304) 781-8343 or e-mail at huntingtonsymphony@gmail.com

Ironton in Bloom set to meet Tuesday

IRONTON — The civic organization Ironton In Bloom’s monthly general meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Ironton City Center on Third Street.

Anyone interested in building pride in our town is welcome to attend.

D-B kindergarten registration set

DEERING — Dawson-Bryant Elementary is having kindergarten registration Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please bring birth certificate, shot records, and any custody papers to the school to register a child.

Free school supplies offered to Fairland district students

PROCTORVILLE — Students and their families in the Fairland School District are invited to go back to school “shopping” at new Hope United Methodist Church from 10 a.m to 1 p.m. on Aug. 14.

The church, located at State Route 775, across from Hall’s Funeral Home in Proctorville, will give away school supplies during this time.

The supplies are free for Fairland students only. Students must bring their school supply lists.

For more information, call Dena Laton at 304-544-5735.

Ironton grad earns bachelor’s in biomedical science

Amanda Harper, a 2006 graduate of Ironton High School, recently obtained her bachelor of science degree in biomedical science and minor in cultural anthropology from The Ohio State University. Harper graduated magna cum laude with honors in allied medicine and research distinction in biomedical science.

She completed her honors thesis studying vitamin D and non-melanoma skin cancer with Dr. Tatiana Oberyszyn and also travelled to Concepcion, Chile to analyze lip cancer.

To finance this work, she was the recipient of The Ohio State Chapter of Sigma-Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research Award, The OSU Student Government Academic Enrichment Grant, The OSU Honors & Scholars Summer Research Internship Award, and the Critical Difference for Women Professional Development Grant.

She has presented her research at a forum in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the National Science Foundation Board of Director’s Annual Meeting, the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum, and the OSUMC Research Day.

Harper will be pursuing a combined MD/PhD degree on a full scholarship at The Ohio State University and plans to study cancer immunology in hopes of one day developing a melanoma vaccine.