Business in brief

The accreditation program - sponsored by the American Heart Association and the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care - recognizes centers that meet or exceed quality of care measures for people experiencing the most severe type of heart attack, ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), in which blood flow is completely blocked to a portion of the heart.

Cabell Huntington Hospital participated in onsite accreditation reviews with specialists from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care. As a result, CHH will display the American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline Heart Attack Receiving Center Accreditation certification mark.

"We are thoroughly committed to providing our patients the highest quality cardiac care centered on current scientific research," said Shawn Bastin, director of Cardiac and Rehabilitation Services at Cabell Huntington Hospital. "The American Heart Association's Mission: Lifeline Heart Attack Receiving Center Accreditation has highlighted our accomplishments and enhances the overall treatment and care for our patients."

For more information about the American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline Heart Attack Receiving Center Accreditation, visit www.heart.org/missionlifeline or http://www.scpc.org.

Conference to address mineral owners' concerns

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. - Mineral and royalty owners, as well as industry professionals, will gather Oct. 29-31 at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs for an education meeting and discussions on the oil and gas industry.

"This year's annual conference agenda addresses a host of issues of interest to mineral owners in the region," said Robert Mead, National Association of Royalty Owners' (NARO) Appalachia Chapter. "Anyone with mineral assets in the Appalachian Basin will find benefit in attending."

Mead says in addition to introducing new topics, such as ethane store, rare earth elements and clean water solutions, presentations will be made on understanding division orders, auditing producer records and negotiating pipeline contracts.

"Our keynote speaker Monday evening will be Dough Matheney, special advisor to the Secretary of Fossil Fuel Energy with the U.S. Department of Energy. "We are also looking forward to remarks from Senator Joe Manchin as well as West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice."

Cynthia Simonds, NARO's national development director, says the mission for NARO is one of education and advocacy.

"We are the only national organization representing the 7.5 to 12 million mineral owners in the United States," she said. "The vast majority of U.S. mineral owners has their property through inheritance and never thought they would be in the oil and gas industry as a development partner, but here they are. And there is a lot to know."

The Appalachian region of NARO consists of West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and North Carolina, Simonds added.

To register for the event online, visit www.naro-us.org/events.

Shentel completes transformation of nTelos into Sprint

EDINBURG, Va. - Shenandoah Telecommunications Company announced that on Sept. 30 it completed the upgrade of the former nTelos network from 3G to 4G LTE, along with the migration of the former nTelos customers to the Sprint billing system.

According to a company news release, this completes the transformation of the former nTelos wireless service area, acquired by Shentel in May 2016, to the Sprint Affiliate model in 17 months, a full quarter ahead of schedule.

Officials said that over the past year Shentel has invested hundreds of millions of dollars improving the Sprint network in Virginia and West Virginia.

"They have already doubled the amount of 4G LTE coverage in the network by upgrading 854 sites, making 100 percent of their sites 4G LTE capable," the release stated. "In addition, they've added 800 MHz coverage and over 60 new cell sites to their local network for more coverage in more places, and will continue investing in new cell sites to ensure Sprint customers have the best network experience possible."

For more information, visit online at www.shentel.com.

WV SUN changes name to Solar United Neighbors of West Virginia

CHARLESTON - Last week marked WV SUN's launch as Solar United Neighbors of West Virginia.

This new name better reflects the unified actions of nine state-based programs working together to build a new energy system with rooftop solar as the cornerstone, officials said.

"We envision a clean, equitable energy system that directs control and benefits back to local communities, with solar on every roof and money in every pocket," said Autumn Long, Solar United Neighbors of West Virginia program director. "Changing our name to Solar United Neighbors of West Virginia reflects our community's desire to help people go solar and build a nationwide force of solar supporters to fight for our energy rights."

Long says Solar United Neighbors of West Virginia works with solar supporters to protect their right to go solar and ensure everyone can access the benefits of solar.

"It has helped launch more than a dozen solar co-ops across the state to make going solar easier," Long said in a news release. "It also has fought to defend West Virginians' right to go solar by successfully defending their right to receive fair compensation for the energy they generate by protecting existing rules for net metering. Solar United Neighbors will continue this work by providing a strong platform for solar owners and solar supporters to stand up for their rights."

Solar co-ops provide participants an opportunity to learn about solar technology and the process of going solar, according to Long.

Solar United Neighbors of West Virginia is connected to more than half a dozen similar state-based programs across the country under the umbrella of Solar United Neighbors, the release stated. Combined, these efforts have helped more than 2,200 homes go solar, including nearly 100 in West Virginia, generating $40 million in solar investment and saving co-op participants more than $8 million, it said.