WHEELING - Some Ohio Valley entities managed to keep the glass half full during 2009 despite the downturn in the economy and a year plagued with uncertainty.

Judging by the traffic at The Highlands in Ohio County, business remains brisk at the still-growing retail development operated under the auspices of the Ohio County Development Authority.

The addition of new stores such as Nini's Treasures, the Dress Barn, Best Buy, the AT&T store and Books a Million, and new restaurants such as Fusion Japanese Steakhouse, Wings to Go, Indigo Joe's and Quaker Steak and Lube, are complemented by the established businesses and the new Sheetz gas station and eatery.

The Highlands - with anchor tenant Cabela's firmly in place - continues to extend its reach into the community with such additions as the West Liberty University satellite campus and a West Virginia Tourism office.

Ohio County Commissioner Randy Wharton, a development authority member, said he is confident 2009 will go down in the record books for sales at The Highlands.

"We are looking at in excess of 60 tenants, approaching 3,000 permanent jobs, and the sales figures at the end of December will be record-setting," Wharton said.

He said while the commission and development authority moved ahead in 2009, there were ups and downs in the process. However, Wharton said county officials are committed to positive results in 2010.

"We are in a good position to move into 2010. Everything we started in 2009 is approaching completion. We will get all the money owed to us and get on good financial footing," Wharton noted. "Even in this difficult economy, the interest in The Highlands hasn't slacked. We will definitely see a hotel at The Highlands in 2010."

Other future endeavors at The Highlands could include additional retailers and restaurants, and even a baseball stadium.

Wharton also attributed the county's positives to "great cooperation among all county offices."

"We have not had layoffs like other counties. We have good people running the departments," he added.

In particular, he said the sheriff's department is among the finest in the state and country.

The WLU facility at The Highlands brings a new concept in convenience when it comes to education. Students can participate in the new master of arts in education degree program, accelerated business classes and a number of undergraduate courses at The Highlands location. State funds totaling $800,000 account for most of the initial $1 million investment in the facility.

Meanwhile, the promise of new employment came to fruition in 2009 through the West Virginia Smart Sensor Supercomputing Center, located in the Stone Center @ Market Plaza building in downtown Wheeling. The supercomputing center is a joint venture between TTi Technologies and Vista Research Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif. TTi is a Washington, D.C.-based firm that operates a "secure data center" in Wheeling at the Horne's Building.

Martins Ferry native Theodora Titonis is president of TTi. The supercomputing center is expected to develop "smart sensor" technology for the U.S. military, allowing for more accurate interpretation of surveillance data. Upon its opening, the center is expected to employ 10 people, who could earn on average $50,000 to $100,000 annually. Titonis previously said that number could eventually grow to 45 jobs.

Meanwhile, it was good news across the Ohio River in Shadyside, where job retention brought cheers to workers at FirstEnergy's R.E. Burger plant. FirstEnergy had faced a March 31 deadline to conform with terms of a consent decree it agreed to more than three years ago with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA had ordered the company to reduce its overall emissions of carbon dioxide at the coal-fired Burger Plant.

Under the consent decree FirstEnergy had three options, all costly. It could repower the plant with natural gas, install expensive pollution control equipment or close the plant.

In April, FirstEnergy officials and Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland announced the company would invest $200 million to repower units 4 and 5 at its coal-fired Burger Plant and begin a transition to using renewable biomass fuel. It's a gradual conversion that will take about three years, according to Anthony J. Alexander, president and chief executive officer of FirstEnergy.

Also in East Ohio, Severstal Wheeling restarted its Yorkville plant in early December, taking workers off the unemployment rolls. The company also announced it will restart its coating lines in Martins Ferry on Jan. 25 The galvanizing lines in Martins Ferry apply a zinc coating to steel processed at the Yorkville mill and other Severstal plants. The Yorkville plant is being supplied with steel from various Severstal North America plants.

The good news is tempered by the fact that the hot strip mill at Mingo Junction and the Steubenville plant remain closed. The steel that formerly supplied Martins Ferry and Yorkville used to be made at Mingo Junction. The blast furnace at Mingo Junction was shut down in fall 2008, and the plant was completely closed in the spring.

Employment levels at Martins Ferry will vary weekly based on order levels, the company said.