Vol. 8, Issue No. 15
November 16, 2020
From the Hawk's Nest, New River CTC's employee newsletter, is distributed twice a month, and we need your input! Have story ideas or photos for From the Hawk's Nest? Send them to the Office of Communications for the next edition.
Motivational Month
Additional resources can be found online at www.actionforhappiness.org.
Making Thanksgiving safer
Traditional Thanksgiving gatherings with family and friends are fun but can increase the chances of getting or spreading COVID-19 or the flu. The safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving this year is to celebrate with people in your household. If you do plan to attend a gathering, bring your own food, drinks, plates, cups, and utensils; wear a mask, and safely store your mask while eating and drinking; avoid going in and out of the areas where food is being prepared or handled, such as in the kitchen; and use single-use options, like salad dressing and condiment packets. 
Safety tips as we head into winter
Eat safe food after a power outage
Have you lost power? Keep your food at safe temperatures. Your refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if the doors stay closed, and a full freezer will maintain its temperature for about 48 hours.

Click here to learn more food safety tips for power outages.
Propane safety information
Martin now serving as Interim GEAR UP Coordinator
Elizabeth Martin
New River CTC congratulates Elizabeth Martin on her new position as the Interim GEAR UP Coordinator, a grant-funded position that will coordinate all GEAR UP grant activities for eligible students’ college-wide. She will direct and oversee part-time mentors who work directly with students as part of the grant. Services will be intentional and holistic in order to support eligible students’ success through their first year of college. Services will address personal, academic, and financial aspects of student’s lives with the goal of helping GEAR UP students show a higher retention rate than that of the student population in general.
Around Campus
New River CTC selected as WV Network's customer of the month
New River's IT Response to the Pandemic

Like many colleges and universities, since March 2020, New River Community and Technical College has been working and delivering services remotely. This sudden change required us to quickly identify services not yet available to students and remote workers so we could modify these services to make them available for remote users. While this sounds simple enough, it required a good deal of effort to modify several services while we were also working remotely and continuing to meet the daily demands of IT support. When in-house modifications weren’t possible, we had to quickly purchase new service delivery solutions for several areas to fill these gaps. 
New Aerospace partnership with Raleigh County Memorial Airport
New River CTC is excited to partner with the Raleigh County Memorial Airport to support the aerospace industry. The College will be working with the airport to develop an A&P (airframe and powerplant) program. More information will be available as the program continues to develop.

The Raleigh County Memorial Airport was featured in the Oct. 2020 edition of Business View North America, covering their vision and future growth opportunities. Read the article online.
Cosmetology and Esthetics students support
breast cancer awareness
COVID-19 testing bookstore voucher winners
While COVID-19 saliva testing continues, so far three students have won bookstore vouchers for their participation. Congratulations to William Mcguire, Kaylee Hall and Kendra Baker.
EDET simulators
EDET students use simulators to enhance their understanding of transformers. These transformer simulators were purchased as part of the WV CTCs Rapid Response Electrical Lineman Training Grant. 
Fall maintenance projects
Many thanks to John and Justin who have been working very hard outside at the NCC removing leaves, pressure washing the building, and removing the outside light coverings-giving them a good washing.
Halloween fun
Thank you to all who shared photos from Halloween festivities and fall foliage!
In our communities
Students participate in Halloween event
Students from the Browning Social Services Club participated in a drive through Halloween event sponsored by Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council and held at Epling Stadium. Students participating include (from right to left) Brayleen Dowdy, Janelle Babkirk, Dustin Ewing, India Law, and Jordan White. 
New River CTC students attend statewide community college event
Five students from the social services program participated in a statewide community college event sponsored by WVU-Parkersburg, and presented by the National Institutes for Historically-Underserved Students. The focus of the event was to facilitate dialog on rebuilding the economy. Students participated in exploring similarities and regional differences across West Virginia's cultural landscape. Student's participating include Jeremy Miller, Melinda Price, Isiah Smith, Janelle Babkirk, and Kateland Beckelhimer and Dr. Kelli A. White as facilitator for New River Community and Technical College.
New additions to the Women's Resource Center
The Browning Social Services Club, with the help of Kelly Tabor, completed the Belinda Cox room at the Women's Resource Center on Saturday, September 26. This will be an ongoing project, so be on the lookout for ways you can help.

Photo:The finished product. Pictured (left to right) Raine Hill, Aubray Pettry, Dr. White, Jeremy Miller, and Elizabeth Chappel.
Defensive Driving August 2020
Eight secrets to super driving
Fleet Management provides monthly driving tips to provide agencies with a way to promote good defensive driving techniques ensuring the safety of state vehicle operators. For November 2020, Fleet is providing information on secrets to super driving.

When you drive defensively, you are aware and ready for whatever happens. You are cautious, yet ready to act and not put your fate in the hands of other drivers. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 90% of all crashes are attributed to driver error.

Following these defensive driving tips can help reduce your risk behind the wheel:

  1. Think safety first. Avoiding aggressive and inattentive driving tendencies yourself will put you in a stronger position to deal with other people’s bad driving. Leave plenty of space between you and the car in front. Always lock your doors and wear your seatbelt to protect you from being thrown from the car in a crash.
  2. Be aware of your surroundings — pay attention. Check your mirrors frequently and scan conditions 20 to 30 seconds ahead of you. Keep your eyes moving. If a vehicle is showing signs of aggressive driving, slow down or pull over to avoid it. If the driver is driving so dangerously that you are worried, try to get off the roadway by turning right or taking the next exit if it is safe to do so. Also, keep an eye on pedestrians, bicyclists, and pets along the road.
  3. Do not depend on other drivers. Be considerate of others but look out for yourself. Do not assume another driver is going to move out of the way or allow you to merge. Assume that drivers will run through red lights or stop signs and be prepared to react. Plan your movements anticipating the worst-case scenario.
  4. Follow the 3- to 4-second rule. Since the greatest chance of a collision is in front of you, using the 3- to 4-second rule will help you establish and maintain a safe following distance and provide adequate time for you to brake to a stop if necessary. But this rule only works in normal traffic under good weather conditions. In bad weather, increase your following distance an additional second for each condition such as rain, fog, nighttime driving, or following a large truck or motorcycle.
  5. Keep your speed down. Posted speed limits apply to ideal conditions. It is your responsibility to ensure that your speed matches conditions. In addition, higher speeds make controlling your vehicle that much more difficult if things go wrong. To maintain control of your vehicle, you must control your speed.
  6. Have an escape route. In all driving situations, the best way to avoid potential dangers is to position your vehicle where you have the best chance of seeing and being seen. Having an alternate path of travel also is essential, so always leave yourself an out — a place to move your vehicle if your immediate path of travel is suddenly blocked.
  7. Separate risks. When faced with multiple risks, it is best to manage them one at a time. Your goal is to avoid having to deal with too many risks at the same time.
  8. Cut out distractions. A distraction is any activity that diverts your attention from the task of driving. Driving deserves your full attention — so stay focused on the driving task.

For additional information and resources, visit https://fleet.wv.gov/Pages/Defensive-Driving-Monthly-Topics.aspx.
New River Community and Technical College | www.newriver.edu
New River CTC does not discriminate in its educational programs or in admission to, access to, treatment in, or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, veteran or military status, disability, or genetic information or any other status or condition protected by applicable federal or state laws. The following office has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the College’s non-discrimination policies relating to disabilities, sex, Title IX or other forms of discrimination: Peter Hoeman, Interim Dean of Student Services and Title IX Coordinator, 304-929-5027, [email protected], 280 University Drive, Beaver, WV 25801. Additional information can be found on the College’s website at www.newriver.edu/nondiscrimination.