The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is accepting applications for the 2025 Torch Awards for Ethics and the Spark Awards for Entrepreneurship for Northern Colorado and Wyoming businesses and nonprofits.
The application process for both awards is open through Oct. 28, according to a news release.
The Torch Award for Ethics celebrates businesses and nonprofits that exemplify outstanding integrity, ethics, and trustworthiness in their daily operations, and is open to entities that have been in business for at least three years and maintain good standing with BBB. Nonprofits must meet BBB's 20 standards for charity accountability prior to applying.
The Spark Awards for Entrepreneurship honor emerging businesses that demonstrate a passion for their industry, creativity in their approach, and a commitment to community service. To be eligible, businesses must have been in operation for at least six months but not more than three years at the time of application, and must be in good standing with BBB.
Banner Health in Northern Colorado has been recognized by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) after achieving recognition as an Age-Friendly Health System, earning Committed to Care Excellence status.
Over the last three months, Banner Health has collected data about the count of older adults who received a set of evidence-based elements of high-quality care, known as the 4Ms: what matters, medication, mentation and mobility, according to a news release.
Age-friendly health systems aim to: follow an essential set of evidence-based practices; cause no harm; align with what matters to the older adult and their family caregivers.
"Banner Health has always been committed to care excellence and is proud and humbled to have achieved this recognition," Victoria Cordova, director of behavioral health services for Banner Health in Northern Colorado, said in the release.
As of June 2024, more than 2,000 hospitals, practices, convenient care clinics, and nursing homes have been recognized as Age-Friendly Health Systems - Committed to Care Excellence.
Age-Friendly Health Systems is an initiative of The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, in partnership with the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Catholic Health Association of the US (CHA).
For information, visit ihi.org/agefriendly.
* Daniel Flanscha, president of Longs Peak Financial in Loveland, announced three new podcasts on use of the reverse mortgage with the safe withdrawal method; the reverse mortgage as a tool of the middle class and using the reverse mortgage as a volatility buffer. His podcast is "The Money Tune-Up Show." For details, call 970-461-0808, email [email protected] or visit open.spotify.com/show/6s1PQC8aCcKLbSxO8w38sj.
* Wilbur's Total Beverage and the Mantooth Company held their annual "Hamburgers for Hospice" event on Sept. 13 to benefit Pathways. They served grilled meals consisting of a burger, brat, or hot dog, along with chips and a drink for a minimum donation of $5 and raised $1,411 in two hours. The funds will be used to support the Pathways Grief and Loss Program, an initiative that offers individual counseling, support groups, and creative therapies such as art and music to help individuals cope with grief following a loss or during a serious illness. To learn more about Pathways visit pathways-care.org.
* In honor of National Coffee Day on Sept. 29, Ziggi's Coffee will give customers a chance to become the brand's honorary Chief Coffee Officer. The winner will be awarded $2,500, free Ziggi's for a year, and a behind-the-scenes experience at Dillanos Coffee Roasters, Ziggi's Coffee's expert roasting partner, in Sumner, Wash, Oct. 15-17 for a tour of the facility, a coffee-tasting experience and dinner with the Dillanos team. Ziggi's recently partnered with Dillanos. To apply, all Ziggi's Coffee aficionados must visit woobox.com/jw9zc6 and submit a 15-60 second video answering the question: "What makes you qualified to be Ziggi's Chief Coffee Officer?" Applications will close on Sept. 25 and the selected candidate will be notified on Sept. 29.
* Colorado State University in Fort Collins won a federal contract award for $9,946,321 from the U.S. Navy, Arlington, Va., and a second federal contract award for $5,998 from the Department of the Interior U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for Grand Junction Pagosa skyrocket monitoring.
* In-Situ in Fort Collins won a federal contract award for $28,959 from the Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation in Sacramento, Calif., for Lahontan Basin Area Office gauging equipment.
* Woodward in Fort Collins won a federal contract award for $418,000 from the U.S. Navy, Mechanicsburg, Pa., for repair/modification of valve fuel, and a second a federal contract award for $133,432 from the Department of Defense Defense Logistics Agency, Richmond, Va., for electrical bell.
* Intel Corp. of Santa Clara, Calif., has been assigned a patent (No. US 12086705 B2, initially filed Dec. 29, 2017) developed by 15 inventors, including Travis T. Schluessler of Berthoud, for "Compute optimization mechanism for deep neural networks."
* R.A. Phillips Industries Inc. of Irvine, Calif., has been assigned a patent (No. US 12083951 B2, initially filed Feb. 7, 2024) developed by Jonathon Boyd of Loveland and John Sasta, Shelby Township, Mich., for "Light securing device having a plurality of legs for securing a lighting device to a structure."
* Seagate Technology LLC of Fremont, Calif., has been assigned a patent (No. US 12086455 B2, initially filed Oct. 8, 2021) developed by seven inventors, including David W. Claude of Loveland and Thomas V. Spencer of Fort Collins, for "Data storage system with workload-based asymmetry compensation."
* Venture Offroad Engineering LLC of Portland, Ore., has been assigned a design patent (No. US D1041428 S1, initially filed Feb. 23, 2022) developed by three inventors, including Eric Edwards of Loveland, for "Electrical control system enclosure."
* Lunch & Learn Talk with Sam Solt: noon-1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24, Innosphere, 320 E. Vine Drive, Fort Collins. The independent consultant on manufacturing planning systems and performance will discuss "Maximizing Manufacturing Planning Performance," Free, register at innosphereventures.org/events.
* 2024 Workforce Symposium: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24, Aims Community College Welcome Center, 4901 W. 20th St., Greeley. Keynote speaker is Dr. Rich Feller, a nationally recognized thought-leader, counselor and educator. Other speakers will be Erika Michalski, Isaac Bowen and Dain Johnson. Topics include ethics in talent acquisition; leveraging people and data to drive results and retain top talent and more. Tickets $55, available at eventbrite.com/e/2024-workforce-symposium-registration-882143273277?aff=oddtdtcreator.
* Pulse Internet Happy Hour: 4-6 p.m. every Thursday in September, Grimm Brothers Brewing, 815 14th ST SW, Suite B100, Loveland. Visit the Pulse booth to get answers to questions about the internet service and get a gift certificate for an appetizer.
The Reporter-Herald strives to include newsworthy business briefs for its readers each Sunday. The focus of business briefs is on Northern Colorado businesses, not business promotions.
* New owners, employees or promotions of employees.
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