Jamestown chamber honors Tygh Yatskis for quick flood response

The Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Committee and staff presented its July Customer Service Award to Tygh Yatskis of Total Clean after a sprinkler head malfunction flooded a newly renovated space at Victory Christian School. The chamber recognized Yatskis for a quick response that helped contain the damage at the school, where even a short delay could have meant more cleanup, more downtime, and higher repair costs.

Victory Christian School, at 510 9th Ave. SW in Jamestown, has served the community since 2008. Its recent expansion was part of a $5 million Growing Together capital campaign and added a new gymnasium, commons area, kitchen, multipurpose classroom and additional learning spaces. In a building that had only recently been upgraded, a water emergency created a serious test for school staff and the contractors called to respond.

Total Clean says Yatskis is its general manager. The company says it is privately owned by Kevin and Jodi Reuther, has three carpet-cleaning units, and employs 20 to 30 people depending on the season. It also says the business has experienced steady growth for more than 16 years. Its restoration work includes water extraction, ceiling tile and carpet removal and cleanup, dehumidification and complete dry-out services, the kind of work that becomes critical when a sprinkler line fails in a school or business.

The chamber’s award nominations are meant to recognize individuals and businesses that go above and beyond in the Jamestown area, and this case fit that standard in a very direct way. The value was not just in courtesy or visibility, but in speed and technical response at a moment when the school needed help immediately. A clean-up job done late can become structural damage; a fast one can keep a problem from spreading through renovated walls, flooring and ceiling materials.

This was not the first time Total Clean had earned attention for that kind of response. In 2022, the business was recognized as Business of the Month after a nomination praised Yatskis and Jake Reuther for quickly helping dry a basement after snowmelt and three inches of rain. That earlier praise and the chamber’s July award point to the same local reputation: when water shows up where it should not, Jamestown schools, households and small businesses need crews who can move quickly and know what to do next.